Italy to limit foreign students and ban religious headwear in schools

On September 20, 2026, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced a series of new legislative measures aimed at reforming the national school system. Speaking at a youth festival for her Brothers of Italy party, Meloni stated that the government plans to introduce a formal cap on the number of foreign students permitted in each classroom across the country. She emphasized that these steps are intended to ensure Italian students do not feel like a minority within their own schools.

In addition to the enrollment caps, Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara outlined requirements for parents of foreign students who demonstrate poor academic performance, mandating that they must undergo Italian language training. Furthermore, the government intends to implement a nationwide ban on the use of burqas and hijabs within all school facilities. While these measures were announced as imminent government policy, the sources provided do not specify an exact date for the implementation of the new rules or the legislative schedule for their approval.