Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said he would soon propose to the government a measure that would limit the number of foreign students in classrooms and ban the wearing of burqas and niqabs in schools.
The proposal was made at an event of the youth wing of her party “Brothers of Italy“, reported the AP and Reuters. According to the two agencies, Meloni also said that parents of foreign students who experience serious difficulties adapting to the school system would be obliged to learn Italian.
What the measure envisages
According to Meloni, the aim is to introduce a limit on the proportion of foreign students in individual classes. An exact percentage was not specified in her statement, quoted by international media.
She also spoke about banning face coverings in schools, explicitly mentioning the burqa and the niqab. The burqa is a complete covering of the face and body, while the niqab leaves only the eyes exposed.
According to publications by the AP and Reuters, Meloni presented the measure as part of her broader line on the topics of integration and migration.
The political context
The topic is sensitive in Italy, where migration and school integration are among the main political disputes. Meloni's statement comes against the backdrop of intensified debates in Europe about the role of religious symbols in schools and the integration of migrant children.
At the moment, it is not clear exactly when the government will submit the official text and in what form it will be proposed. There is no final decision, as this is a declared intention, not an adopted law.
Italian media noted that similar restrictions already exist in part of the country's educational framework, but Meloni did not specify how her new initiative would change them.
Sources: AP, Reuters