Italy’s Prime Minister Suggests Capping Number Of Foreign Students Per Classroom

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has announced plans to introduce a cap on the number of foreign students allowed in individual classrooms, saying the measure is intended to improve integration within Italy's education system.

Speaking at the youth wing festival of her Brothers of Italy party in Rome on Sunday, Meloni said the government also wants to make Italian language tuition compulsory for parents of foreign pupils who experience serious difficulties integrating into the school system.

She argued that anyone who chooses to build a future in Italy should learn the country's language, understand its culture and respect its laws, describing this as the only meaningful way to achieve successful integration.

The latest NSO data shows that 15.8% of students in Malta's compulsory education system were foreign citizens in the 2022/2023 academic year, up from 13.2% in 2019/2020.

The NSO expects that proportion to increase slightly once the final 2024/2025 figures are published.

The proposals form part of a wider government measure that would also ban the wearing of burqas and niqabs in schools. Meloni specifically referred to the two face-covering garments but did not mention the hijab, the headscarf worn by many Muslim women.

The proposed legislation must first be approved by the Italian government before being submitted to parliament, where lawmakers would have 60 days to convert it into law.

The announcements come as Meloni prepares for Italy's next general election, expected in 2027.

#MaltaDaily