Italy Announces School Rules on Face Coverings and Italian-Language Support

Italy will introduce a 30 percent cap on the number of students in a class who do not have an adequate command of Italian, according to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Meloni announced the measures on social media, saying they would also include more tools for learning the Italian language. The stated classroom limit applies to students whose command of Italian is considered inadequate.

The package also includes a ban on the burqa and niqab in schools, Meloni said. The supplied report does not provide details of how the prohibition will be applied or which authority will enforce it. The available material does not identify the date on which the measures will take effect, the number of schools affected or whether the 30 percent limit will be calculated across particular classes, schools or education levels.

It also does not explain how students will be assessed for Italian-language proficiency, what additional learning tools will be provided or what arrangements will apply when a class reaches the stated limit. Meloni’s announcement links the measures to language learning and rules on face coverings in schools. No response from students, parents, teachers, school authorities or political opponents is included in the supplied report.

The source does not provide details of any legislative process, implementation timetable or sanctions. It establishes only the measures described by the prime minister: a 30 percent cap for students lacking adequate Italian, expanded language-learning support and a school ban on the burqa and niqab.