The Italian Executive has given the green light this Thursday to a decree that prohibits the use of the burka and the niqab in all educational centers in the country, introduces the obligation to take free Italian classes for those who do not master the language, and sets a limit of 30% on the number of students without citizenship and with educational deficiencies in each classroom.
The Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, communicated this through her profiles on social media, emphasizing that the regulation approved by the Council of Ministers also incorporates "more resources to learn our language."
The head of the Government has supported "common sense measures that do not divide, but rather help to truly integrate, avoiding ghetto classes and offering all students the same opportunities."
"This is the direction we want to follow: an education that integrates without renouncing the rules, that supports those who have more difficulties and that allows everyone to start from the same point," the leader added.
The text expressly prohibits the use of these two Islamic veils — the burka completely covers the body and face, while the niqab, also integral, only leaves the eyes visible — and contemplates economic sanctions of between 200 and 1,000 euros for those who violate the prohibition, which will fall on the parents or guardians if the person wearing it is a minor.
The same amounts will apply to those who do not attend the free Italian course aimed at those who do not handle the language. With this initiative, the Government aims to make learning Italian a "great tool for integration," as highlighted by the Minister of Education, Giuseppe Valditara.
According to data released by the ANSA agency, there are currently around 34,000 classes operating in Italy where more than 30% of the students were born abroad, a situation that Meloni's Executive wants to correct. However, the decree contemplates exceptions, for example, related to the student's residence.
In any case, the 30% threshold will be applied differently depending on whether it is primary or secondary schools. In primary schools, the criterion affects students without Italian citizenship who were not born in the country or who have not completed at least two years of preschool education, while in secondary education it is limited to those who have not successfully completed at least three years of schooling.