Rome, September 20 (KNS): Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Sunday said her government is preparing legislation to ban the wearing of burqas and niqabs in schools and introduce a cap on the number of foreign students in classrooms.

Addressing an annual gathering of the youth wing of her Brothers of Italy party in Rome, Meloni said the proposed legislation would be presented to the Cabinet soon.

The measure would also require parents of foreign students facing serious difficulties in integrating into the Italian school system to learn the Italian language, she said.

“For us, anyone who comes to Italy and wants to build their future here must learn our language, understand our culture and respect our rules,” Meloni said.

Meloni said the proposed legislation would establish a maximum number of foreign students allowed in each class, although she did not specify the proposed limit.

She also said students should attend school with their faces uncovered, specifically referring to the burqa and niqab. The burqa covers the entire body and face, while the niqab covers the face except for the eyes.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

The proposal does not specifically target the hijab, the headscarf worn by some Muslim women.

“School must be attended with the face uncovered, and in Italy no one, in the name of a real or presumed tradition, can decide that a young woman must hide herself,” Meloni said.

According to data cited by the Fondazione ISMU, students without Italian citizenship accounted for 11.6 per cent of enrolments in Italian schools during the 2024-25 academic year.

The proposed measures will require parliamentary approval after being cleared by the Italian government before they can become law.

Meloni's government has made migration and integration key areas of its policy, with the latest proposals linking language learning, classroom integration and restrictions on face-covering garments in schools.

The announcement comes amid a wider debate in Italy over migrant integration, religious symbols and the participation of foreign students in the country's education system.(KNS)