- Italy’s PM Meloni proposes face covering ban in schools.
- Plan also limits foreign students per classroom.
- Parents of non-integrated foreign students must learn Italian.
Italy is preparing to restrict face coverings such as burqas and niqabs in schools and limit the number of foreign students in each classroom, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni indicated during a youth programme organised by her party on Sunday.
The proposed measures are being viewed in the context of Meloni’s right-wing political image. Italy, due to its location in the Mediterranean, is among the European countries that receive a large number of migrants, making immigration a major issue for successive governments.
What Did Meloni Say?
Meloni said a proposal would soon be presented at a Cabinet meeting. It will include provisions to limit the number of foreign students in each classroom.
She also said parents of foreign students who face serious difficulties integrating into schools would need to learn Italian. The proposal would also ban burqas and niqabs in schools.
“If there is only one child in a class who does not know the Italian language, that child will probably learn the language with the help of friends and teachers and integrate quickly,” Meloni said.
“But if there are more such children, it will become difficult to ignore. They will not be able to integrate and will end up forming their own majority,” she added.
Meloni did not specify the proposed limit on the number of foreign students in each classroom during her speech.
11.6% Students In Italian Schools Are Non-Citizens
According to research by Italian organisation Fondazione ISMU cited in the report, 11.6% of students studying in Italian schools are not Italian citizens.
This means that around 12 out of every 100 students are foreign nationals.
‘You Will Have To Go To School With Your Face Uncovered’
Addressing school students, Meloni said they would have to attend school without covering their faces.
“You will have to go to school with your face uncovered. In Italy, no one can, in the name of a real or perceived tradition, say that a young woman should cover herself,” she said.
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