Italy Restricts Foreign Pupil Numbers and Bans Face Coverings in Schools
Government Measures and Political Context
By Angelo Amante
ROME, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Italy's right-wing government on Thursday passed rules to limit the number of foreign pupils at school and ban face coverings, a move opponents said was designed to counter the growing appeal of a rival far-right party ahead of elections due next year.
Political Background and Motivations
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is grappling with the rise of National Future, a party founded in February by former army general Roberto Vannacci and already polling at around 8%, while surveys show her coalition trailing the centre-left bloc.
National Future has made schools a central battleground in its campaign advocating "remigration" - the deportation of foreigners to their countries of origin - and has argued that Islamic "contamination" in classrooms harms national identity.
Details of the New School Rules
Cap on Foreign Pupils
From the 2027-28 school year, a 30% cap will apply in primary school classrooms to pupils who are not Italian nationals and were not born in Italy, or who have attended fewer than two years of nursery school in the country, according to a draft decree.
Ban on Face Coverings
The decree also imposes fines of up to €1,000 ($1,137) on anyone entering school premises wearing face coverings, which members of the ruling coalition describe as symbols of Islamist oppression and a lack of respect for women's dignity.
"These are common-sense measures that do not divide people, but help foster genuine integration," Meloni posted on X after cabinet approved the measures.
Italian Courses for Parents
She first unveiled the plans on Sunday at a rally of the youth wing of her Brothers of Italy party, where she also said parents of children who do not speak Italian would be required to attend language courses.
Reactions and Criticism
Political and Public Response
In what appeared to be a part of a broader push to rally support for the coalition ahead of a 2027 election, Meloni last week also announced a partial rollback of the unpopular road tax.
The schools measures have sparked concern among principals, who say they will be difficult to enforce in areas with large immigrant populations, particularly in northern Italy.
Implementation Challenges
If demand exceeds the 30% cap, education authorities will have to redistribute pupils among nearby schools, taking into account family needs and access to education, the draft said, without specifying how that would be done in practice.
President Sergio Mattarella, who has to sign off on the decree, flagged this week that he is wary of any barriers being placed on education.
Statistics and Demographics
According to think tank ISMU Foundation, around 900,000 foreign students attend Italian schools, accounting for 11.6% of the total student population. About 43% come from other European countries, while 32% have African backgrounds.
Opposition Criticism
Opposition politicians accused Meloni of prioritising culture-war politics over the interests of students and schools.
"It is a shameful decree that seeks to hide the government's inability to address the real problems of the public school system behind a new ideological banner," said Elly Schlein, the leader of the centre-left Democratic Party.
Immigration in Italy Compared to Europe
Immigration is politically sensitive in Italy, but the share of immigrants in the population remains lower than in several European peers, standing at about 12% in 2025, compared with 21% in Germany and 19% in Spain, Rockwool Foundation data shows.
($1 = 0.8793 euros)
(Reporting by Angelo Amante; Graphics by Anna Uras; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Gavin Jones)
