Italy decree limiting foreign pupils in classrooms could have near-zero impact

Italy's 30% Foreign Pupil Limit Likely to Affect Few Classrooms Across Nation

Impact and Analysis of Italy's New Classroom Decree

By Anna Uras and Alvise Armellini

Overview of the New Rules

ROME, Sept 28 (Reuters) - New rules to limit the number of foreign pupils in Italian classrooms, introduced by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, are set to affect at most just a few hundred children nationwide, according to experts and a Reuters analysis of public data.

Meloni's right-wing cabinet passed a decree last week setting a ceiling of 30% of foreign pupils per classroom and banning face coverings at school, moves that critics said were an attempt to counter the growing appeal of a rival far-right party National Future ahead of elections due next year.

Government's Stated Purpose

The prime minister called the decree a common sense measure to support integration, "avoid ghetto classes and give all students the same opportunities."

Expert Opinions and Data

Expert Estimates

However, Costanzo Ranci, head of the Social Policy Lab at Milan Polytechnic, told Reuters on Monday that the limit on foreign pupils would likely affect only around 300 children in the whole of Italy. He said the number would not exceed 1,000 and could even be zero.

The government has not provided its own estimate of how many pupils will be affected.

Decree Exemptions and Student Demographics

Estimates are approximate because the decree exempts foreign students born in Italy and those who have spent significant time in the Italian school system.

Statistical Overview

The total student population in Italy's state schools, excluding nurseries, is around 6.2 million, according to the most recent education ministry data for August 2025.

Around 2,600 schools, or 9% of the total, had more than 30% of foreign students in the 2024-2025 school year, according to a Reuters analysis of ministry data.

Adjusted Impact

However, around 64.5% of these foreign students are Italian-born and therefore not affected by the decree. Applying that national share uniformly across schools would leave only 10 state schools above the threshold.

Expert Conclusion

"My feeling is that the decree will not have a real impact on the day-to-day running of schools," Ranci said, adding that it would only apply to rather exceptional situations.

(Reporting by Anna Uras and Alvise Armellini, editing by Gavin Jones and Xevi Fontdegloria)