Italy approves school decree banning burqa, capping foreign pupils

Violations can incur administrative fines of between €200 ($227) and €1,000 ($1137). When the violation is committed by a minor, the penalty applies to the parent,. The government said the measures are intended to promote integration and prevent the formation of what Meloni described as “ghetto-like classrooms.”30% cap on foreign pupils.

The decree also introduces a 30% ceiling in first-year classes for specified students with non-Italian citizenship. In primary schools, the limit applies to pupils who were not born in Italy or who have not attended at least two years of preschool.

In lower and upper secondary schools, the cap applies to students with non-Italian citizenship who have not successfully attended national education system for at least three school years. Read More:Israeli Knesset advances bill to ban Muslim call to prayer over loudspeakers.

Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara said about 34,000 classes currently have a foreign-student share above 30%, stressing that the government's objective is to put greater emphasis on Italian-language acquisition as a tool for integration. The decree provides for intervention when serious and persistent language barriers within a family hinder a child's integration at school.

Schools are required to report such cases to social services, which can arrange Italian-language courses for parents. Failure to comply can result in fines of between €200 and €1,000.