Italy Enforces Restrictions on Foreign Languages and Veils in Schools

WHO:

ABC News World - Italy's conservative government

BBC News - Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni

WHAT:

ABC News World - Italy has approved a school decree limiting classrooms to 30% of students with insufficient Italian-language skills.

ABC News World - The decree also bans full-face Islamic veils, including burqas and niqabs in schools.

BBC News - The measures include a cap on the number of foreign students in classrooms.

WHERE:

ABC News World - Italy

WHEN:

ABC News World - The decree was approved on Thursday.

WHY:

BBC News - Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the measures as "common-sense tools that do not divide but really help to integrate."

HOW:

ABC News World - The government implemented a decree to enforce these restrictions in schools.

(UPDATED September 25, 2026 05:00 UTC)

Italy's conservative government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has approved a new school decree that limits classrooms to 30% of students with insufficient Italian-language skills and bans full-face Islamic veils, including burqas and niqabs, in schools. The measures also include a cap on the number of foreign students allowed in classrooms, which Meloni describes as "common-sense tools that do not divide but really help to integrate." This decree aims to enforce these restrictions in schools across Italy.