Italy decrees limits on non-Italian speakers, veils in school classrooms

Italy's conservative government has passed a decree limiting the number of students in classrooms who have limited Italian language proficiency to 30% in each individual classroom. The move, aimed at promoting integration through language learning, has been met with mixed reactions. Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara stated that the decree would affect approximately 1,000 classrooms, or 0.3% of schools nationwide, primarily those with high concentrations of recently arrived students with little or no Italian proficiency.

Opponents, including some educators, unions, and opposition parties, argue that the new rules could force students to attend schools far from their neighborhoods, potentially disrupting their education. Critics also accuse the government of using the issue to reassert its credentials among its conservative base ahead of possible elections. The decree goes into effect immediately but must be endorsed by parliament within 60 days.

The ban on Islamic veils, such as burqas and niqabs, in school classrooms is a narrower restriction compared to measures in other European countries. It affects a small percentage of students and primarily focuses on full-face veils, which are rarely seen in Italian schools. The decree also allows for exemptions for students born in Italy or those who have attended Italian preschool or progressed through the school system.

The government has provided additional funding to support the implementation of the measure, with a 14-million-euro budget allocated for training language teachers and cultural mediators. However, teachers' unions argue that the funding is insufficient to address the issue effectively. Some school principals express concerns about how the measure can be practically applied in areas with large migrant populations, where schools may be the only option for students' education.