• Italy will ban burqas and niqabs in schools under a new legislative proposal.
• The government plans to limit the number of foreign students in classrooms to 30%.
• Parents of foreign students facing integration challenges will be required to learn Italian.
• These measures align with Meloni's nationalist stance ahead of the next general election.
• The changes will need parliamentary approval to become law.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Sunday that she intends to implement a ban on face coverings, including the burqa and niqab, in schools. In addition, she plans to legally limit the number of foreign students allowed in individual classrooms. This announcement was made at the Gioventù Nazionale event, organized by her Brothers of Italy party. Meloni stated that "no one, in the name of a real or supposed tradition, can decide that a young woman has to hide," emphasizing the importance of students attending school with their faces uncovered, according to indiatimes and scmp.

Furthermore, Meloni intends to make learning the Italian language compulsory for parents of foreign pupils who are struggling to integrate into the educational system. She reiterated the necessity for immigrants to embrace the Italian culture and language to ensure successful integration, stating that "it is the only serious way to welcome them," as reported by aljazeera and cbsnews.

The proposal also states that the specifics of the cap on foreign students will be outlined, but Meloni highlighted concerns over classrooms where non-Italian speaking students may outnumber Italian peers. She emphasized that "if these children are many, or even the majority, that's not integration anymore, that's abandonment," according to indiatimes and indiatimes.

Currently, approximately 11.6% of students in Italian schools are foreign nationals. The proposed legislation would introduce new measures that, should they pass through the legislature, could significantly alter the Italian educational landscape. This development comes at a time when the integration of migrants, particularly from Muslim-majority backgrounds, remains a contentious issue in Italian society and politics, as emphasized by scmp.

The ban on face coverings specifically targets the burqa and niqab and does not extend to hijabs. However, it reflects broader debates within Europe concerning the regulation of religious attire and inclusion in educational settings. Italy's approach aligns with nations like France and Belgium, which have implemented stricter measures regarding face coverings in public spaces, but focuses more narrowly on educational institutions, according to aljazeera and cbsnews.