Italy decrees limits on non-Italian speakers, veils in school classrooms
Italy's government has introduced a decree limiting the number of non-Italian speaking students in classrooms and banning face-covering veils in schools. The policy aims to promote integration, though critics argue it is a politically motivated move targeting immigrants.
Why it matters
The decree reflects broader European debates on national identity, immigration, and the balance between secular education and religious expression.
Italy's government passed a decree on Thursday (September 24, 2026) to place an upper limit on the number of students in each school classroom who have only limited Italian language skills and to ban face-covering Islamic veils in schools.
Premier Giorgia Meloni's conservative government said the package is aimed at strengthening integration through language learning and has drawn support from right-wing allies.
Opponents, including some educators, unions and opposition parties, warn that new rules could force students to attend schools far from their neighbourhoods, while critics accuse the government of turning immigration into a political issue.
With elections possible as early as next spring, analysts say the measures allow the premier to reassert her credentials on issues central to her conservative base, even though their impact is likely to be limited and significant questions remain about how they would be enforced.
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