Italy approves ban on burqas and niqabs in schools — Deutsche Welle

The Italian government has approved a decree banning the wearing of Islamic face coverings in schools, including burqas and niqabs, and also limiting the share of students with insufficient knowledge of Italian in a single class. This was reported by Deutsche Welle.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the government's decision “common-sense tools that do not divide.” According to her, the measures are intended to promote integration, prevent the emergence of “ghetto classes,” and ensure equal opportunities for all students.

Classroom limit

The decree sets a 30% limit on the number of students with insufficient command of Italian in a single class. In primary school, the rule applies to children without Italian citizenship who were not born in Italy or did not attend at least two years of preschool education.

In lower and upper secondary school, the restriction applies to students without Italian citizenship who have studied in the Italian education system for less than three years. Violations of the decree's requirements are punishable by a fine of up to €1,000.

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Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara said that the new rules will affect approximately 1,000 classes, or 0.3% of their total number in the country. According to official data, in 2022–2023, students without Italian citizenship accounted for 11.2% of all schoolchildren, while the share of classes where such students made up more than 30% was 7.6%.

Face coverings

The ban applies to burqas and niqabs, while hijabs remain permitted. Meloni described restrictions on face coverings as a matter of security. She stated that forcing a woman or girl to cover her face deprives her of fundamental rights and hinders integration.

The decree has already entered into force, but parliament must approve it within 60 days. Meloni's coalition has a majority in the legislature. Opposition leader Elly Schlein called the government's decision “a new witch hunt at the expense of children,” while Save the Children warned of the risk of discriminatory consequences and of dividing students into “first” and “second” class.