Meloni wants limits on foreign-nationality pupils per class
The Italian prime minister announces new school rules, but a bill and concrete figures are still lacking.
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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wants to impose a legal limit on the number of pupils with a foreign nationality per class. She also announced language requirements for some parents and a ban on face-covering clothing, without disclosing details of the plans.
Meloni made her announcement on Sunday during Fenix, a gathering of the youth organisation of her party, Fratelli d’Italia. According to news agency ANSA, a proposal is due to go before the Italian Council of Ministers shortly. It therefore remains a political announcement; no published legal text yet exists on which schools or parents can rely.
According to ANSA, the government wants to introduce a maximum number of pupils with a foreign nationality per class. In addition, parents of pupils experiencing serious problems integrating into the Italian education system would have to learn Italian. Meloni also mentioned a ban on the burqa and hijab at school. Other reports refer to the burqa and niqab; the precise wording must emerge from an official text.
Italy has had a guideline on the distribution of pupils with a foreign nationality for some time. The government website Integrazione Migranti states that the proportion should in principle not exceed 30 per cent of a class when this would create an overwhelming presence. The guideline contains exceptions, including for pupils who already speak Italian, were born in Italy or when no alternative is available.
Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara said earlier this month that, in his view, the existing limit is not being applied sufficiently. He called for a law giving regional education authorities more scope to distribute pupils among different schools. His argument is that schools should prevent classes or institutions from becoming concentrated with pupils who speak little Italian.
The new announcement leaves important questions unanswered. It is unclear whether the government wants to adopt the 30 per cent figure, tighten it or replace it with another standard. There is also no information on how pupils would be distributed, what would happen when a school is full and how the language requirement for parents would be monitored.
A distinction is also important. The existing arrangement concerns nationality and language support, while Meloni framed her announcement politically around the position of Italian children in the classroom. Pupils with a foreign nationality may have been born in Italy and often already speak Italian; the official guidelines specifically cite this as a reason for exceptions to the existing distribution rule.
The plans therefore affect both integration policy and the organisation of education. A statutory standard could give regional education services more guidance, but could also lead to additional pupil transfers or differences between schools. Without figures, implementation rules and financial arrangements, it is not yet possible to assess how significant those consequences would be.
For now, the only certainty is that Meloni has announced new rules and that, according to the government, the existing guideline is not working well enough. It was still not known on Sunday afternoon whether and when the Council of Ministers would consider a proposal, or what text would subsequently be submitted to parliament.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Meloni has announced a bill on a maximum number of foreign-nationality pupils per class.
- Italy already has a guideline mentioning a maximum share of 30 per cent, with exceptions.
- The precise standard, implementation rules and timetable are not yet known.
- The government links the proposal to integration and language education.
Left
Arguments A left-wing approach warns that a standard based on nationality could stigmatise pupils and reinforce segregation. The priority should be additional language support, smaller classes and equal access to good-quality education.
Values Equality, inclusion, non-discrimination and the protection of children.
Consequences More resources for schools could improve integration; quotas, by contrast, could lead to exclusion or longer travel distances for pupils.
Centre
Arguments An institutional approach sees scope for distribution when concentration demonstrably makes teaching more difficult, but requires clear criteria, exceptions and oversight. The existing guideline could first be implemented more effectively.
Values Practicality, legal certainty, equal opportunities and administrative proportionality.
Consequences A precise arrangement could give schools guidance, but would require additional capacity for oversight, language education and pupil transport.
Right
Arguments A right-wing approach emphasises that schools need a shared national language and clear standards of behaviour. A ceiling and a ban on face-covering clothing are seen as instruments against parallel communities and the loss of cultural cohesion.
Values National cohesion, integration, public order and shared standards.
Consequences The measures could reduce concentration and encourage language acquisition, but could also cause legal and social conflicts if their implementation is perceived as discriminatory.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved with corrections · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The announcement has been confirmed by multiple public sources, but on Sunday the measure does not yet exist as law. The text therefore explicitly distinguishes between Meloni’s political announcement, the existing guideline and the still-unknown implementation.
- confirmed Meloni announced a maximum number of foreign-nationality pupils per class. — ANSA and LaPresse reported this following her appearance at Fenix. source
- confirmed Meloni said that some parents would have to learn Italian. — This appears in ANSA’s report of her statement. source
- confirmed Italy already has a guideline mentioning a maximum share of 30 per cent foreign-nationality pupils per class. — The Italian government website describes this guideline and its exceptions. source
- confirmed Minister Valditara said that the existing 30 per cent rule is being applied insufficiently and should be enshrined in law. — ANSA quoted Valditara on this on 11 September. source
- confirmed There is still no concrete maximum or published legal text. — The reports consulted mention neither a concrete percentage nor a draft text. source
- confirmed Reports differ on the items of clothing mentioned. — ANSA mentions the burqa and hijab; other reports mention the burqa and niqab. source
1 correction(s) applied
- Was: Meloni is introducing a maximum number of foreign-nationality pupils per class.Now: Meloni announced that she wants to introduce a legal maximum number of foreign-nationality pupils per class. (On Sunday, this is still an announced intention, not legislation in force.)
Editor's note
Meloni’s announcement and the existing 30 per cent guideline have been confirmed. There is still no bill, concrete maximum or implementation timetable; reports also differ on the items of clothing mentioned.Sources
- Meloni, in classe numero massimo di stranieri e divieto di burqa — ANSA
- Il diritto allo studio dei minori stranieri — Governo italiano, Integrazione Migranti
- Valditara: ignorato limite 30% di stranieri in classe — ANSA
- École: Meloni, un nombre maximal d'élèves étrangers par classe — LaPresse
More on this in Dutch media
- de Volkskrant — „italië onderwijs”
- RTL Nieuws — „italië onderwijs”
- NOS — „italië onderwijs”