Meloni made the announcement on Sunday, September 20, 2026, while speaking at a youth event organised by her Brothers of Italy party.
She said the government would introduce a measure to establish a legal maximum for the number of foreign students who can be placed in the same class.
However, the government has not yet announced the exact percentage or number of foreign students that would be permitted in each classroom. The proposal is expected to be presented to the Cabinet before the government begins the legislative process.
Meloni also said Italy was preparing to prohibit face coverings, including the burqa and niqab, in schools.
She linked the proposed measures to what she described as the need to strengthen integration, particularly through language education and participation in Italian society.
Under the proposal, foreign parents of children experiencing difficulties with integration could also be required to learn Italian, according to reports of Meloni鈥檚 announcement.
The announcement comes as immigration and integration remain major political issues in Italy, ahead of the country's next general election.
Meloni, who leads the conservative Brothers of Italy party, used the youth gathering to emphasise her government's position on immigration, national identity and integration.
The proposed restriction on foreign students would not necessarily apply to all students who were born abroad, as the precise legal definition and criteria for the proposed cap have yet to be published.
Current figures cited in reporting indicate that about 11.6 per cent of students in Italy are non-citizens, although citizenship status does not necessarily correspond to whether a student was born in Italy or is newly arrived.
The face-covering proposal specifically concerns garments that cover the face, such as the niqab and burqa. It should not automatically be described as a ban on all forms of Islamic head covering, since a hijab, for example, leaves the face visible.
The proposals have yet to become law. Their final wording, scope and implementation would depend on the legislative process that follows the government's formal presentation.
For now, the confirmed development is that Prime Minister Meloni has announced plans for restrictions on full-face coverings in schools and a legal limit on foreign students per class, with further details expected when the measures are formally presented
