ROME, Italy — The Italian government has approved a ban on face-covering Islamic veils in schools and introduced restrictions on the proportion of pupils with limited Italian language skills who may be placed in the same classroom.
The measures, approved by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni‘s cabinet on Thursday, September 24, 2026, also require some parents of foreign pupils to attend Italian language courses, with financial penalties for failing to comply.
Under the new decree, burqas and niqabs will be prohibited in schools, while pupils covered by the language and residency requirements will be limited to 30 per cent of each new class.
Meloni said the measures were intended to improve integration and ensure that children entering the Italian education system had adequate opportunities to learn the country’s language.
BBC News reported the changes following a cabinet meeting in Rome.
Schools to Restrict Face-Covering Veils
The decree prohibits pupils, parents, and other individuals from covering their faces during school activities, subject to exceptions for medical and security reasons.
The restrictions apply to burqas, which cover the body and face, and niqabs, which cover the face but leave the eyes visible.
The measures do not prohibit the hijab, which covers the hair and neck but leaves the face uncovered.
Under the decree, anyone who breaches the face-covering prohibition may face a fine ranging from €200 to €1,000.
Where the person involved is a minor, their parents or legal guardians may be required to pay the penalty.
Meloni had announced plans to introduce the restrictions at an event organised by the youth wing of her Brothers of Italy party before the cabinet approved the measures.
According to Reuters, she presented the proposals as part of her government’s efforts to promote integration and address the challenges associated with immigration.
New Classrooms Face 30% Limit
The government has also approved restrictions on the number of pupils with insufficient Italian language skills who may be placed in the same class.
The 30 per cent ceiling will apply to specified categories of pupils without Italian citizenship entering the first year of primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education.
Under the decree, children born in Italy and those who have completed specified periods of education in the Italian school system will not be counted towards the limit.
For primary schools, the provisions concern pupils without Italian citizenship who were not born in Italy or who have not completed at least two years of preschool education.
In secondary schools, the restrictions concern pupils without Italian citizenship who have not successfully completed at least three academic years in the Italian education system.
The measures are intended to prevent newly arrived pupils with limited Italian language skills from being concentrated in particular classrooms.
Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara said the government wanted schools to distribute pupils more evenly to improve opportunities for language learning.
Valditara also said children born in Italy would not be included in the 30 per cent ceiling.
The new rules provide for exceptions where schools cannot meet the limit, including additional language support.
Parents Face Compulsory Language Courses
The decree also introduces language requirements for parents whose limited knowledge of Italian is considered an obstacle to their children’s education.
Where schools identify significant language barriers affecting a child’s progress, parents may be required to attend free Italian language courses.
Parents who fail to comply may face fines ranging from €200 to €1,000.
The government says the requirement is intended to improve communication between families and schools and support pupils experiencing difficulties with the Italian language.
An earlier draft of the decree contained provisions concerning the possible removal of children from families whose parents repeatedly refused language support.
However, Valditara said the final measures approved by the government provided for financial penalties, rather than the removal of children from their parents for failing to learn Italian.
The changes form part of a wider package of education measures approved for the 2026–2027 academic year.
Government Defends School Integration Measures
Meloni described the decree as an attempt to ensure that schools could accommodate pupils from different backgrounds without compromising educational standards.
She said limiting the concentration of children with insufficient Italian language skills would help prevent the formation of classrooms in which pupils struggle to communicate with teachers and classmates.
The prime minister also said the government would provide additional resources to help children learn Italian.
According to the Italian news agency ANSA, the measures prompted objections from education unions and school representatives.
Critics have questioned how the restrictions would operate in communities with high concentrations of immigrant families and whether schools would have sufficient resources to redistribute pupils.
Italy already had administrative guidance concerning the proportion of foreign pupils in classrooms, but Valditara said the existing arrangements had not been consistently implemented.
The new decree introduces more specific requirements and provides a legal framework for enforcing the restrictions.
The measures must also complete the parliamentary process required for government decrees to become permanent law.
