Rome — The Italian government has taken a decisive step toward genuine inclusion in classrooms. Today the Council of Ministers approved a new decree that places clear, practical limits on the share of students who do not yet speak Italian adequately, expands language-learning support, and bans face-covering garments such as the burqa and niqab in schools.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni presented the measures as tools of common sense rather than division. “A limit of 30% in classes for students who do not know Italian adequately, more tools to learn our language and an end to burqa and niqab in school,” she said. “Common sense tools that do not divide, but help to truly integrate, avoiding ghettos and giving all students the same opportunities.”

The 30% ceiling is designed to prevent the formation of parallel classrooms where Italian is barely spoken and learning stalls for everyone. By keeping language levels more balanced, teachers can focus on the curriculum instead of constantly translating, and native-speaking and non-native-speaking pupils alike benefit from a shared learning environment.

Alongside the limit, the decree increases resources for Italian-language instruction so that children who arrive with weaker skills receive the targeted help they need. The goal is not exclusion but acceleration: equipping every student with the linguistic foundation required to succeed academically and socially.

The ban on full-face coverings in school settings reinforces the same principle of equal footing. Open faces and open communication are essential to the educational relationship; the measure simply ensures that the school remains a space of shared rules and mutual visibility.