Italy’s government has unveiled a law banning face coverings in schools and limiting the number of foreign students in classrooms, in a move that has drawn criticism from the opposition.
The measure, announced by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni earlier this week, will take effect in September 2027. It prohibits students from taking part in school activities “with their face covered or in any way that prevents identification”. Violations will be punishable by fines of up to €1,000.
The law does not explicitly refer to the Islamic burqa or niqab. But Meloni did so when announcing the measure, saying that in Italy “no one should force a girl to hide herself”.
The burqa covers the entire body, including the face, while the niqab covers the face but leaves the eyes visible. Both are distinct from the hijab, which covers the hair and neck but leaves the face uncovered.
The garments are uncommon in Italy. Estimates cited by the Italian press suggest that around 500 to 600 women wear them nationwide.
Limits on foreign students
The law also introduces a 30 per cent limit on certain foreign students in first-year classes.
In primary schools, the cap applies to pupils who are not Italian citizens and were neither born in Italy nor attended at least two years of preschool.
In secondary schools, it applies to students who are not Italian citizens and have not completed at least three years of the Italian school system.
The measure could lead to children being transferred to the next-closest school in areas with high concentrations of migrant communities.
According to Italy’s Education Ministry, more than 4,000 of the country’s 52,392 schools have more than 30 per cent non-Italian students, mainly in northern Italy.
Around 900,000 pupils in Italy do not have Italian citizenship, although it is unclear how many meet the additional criteria set out in the law.
The legislation also introduces a mandatory free Italian-language course for parents with limited Italian proficiency, requiring them to reach A2 level.
Opposition criticism
The left-wing opposition has strongly criticised the measure.
Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein called it “a new witch hunt targeting young children”, while the Five Star Movement described it as an “ideological stunt” that was “disgraceful and unworkable”.
The announcement comes as Meloni takes a tougher stance on migration ahead of Italy’s 2027 general election.
Her governing coalition is also facing pressure from the growing support for the new far-right National Future (FN), led by former League MEP Roberto Vannacci.
FN has accused the government of not being sufficiently right-wing and recently called for limits on the number of foreign students in classrooms.