Italy govt decrees limits on non-Italian speakers and veils in school classrooms

ROME: Italy's govt passed a decree Thursday to place an upper limit on the number of students in each school classroom who have only limited Italian language skills and to ban face-covering Islamic veils in schools. Premier Giorgia Meloni's conservative govt said the package is aimed at strengthening integration through language learning and has drawn support from right-wing allies.Opponents including some educators, unions and opposition parties warn that new rules could force students to attend schools far from their neighbourhoods, while critics accuse govt of turning immigration into a political issue. With elections possible as early as next spring, analysts say the measures allow the premier to reassert her credentials on issues central to her conservative base, even though their impact is likely to be limited and questions remain about how they would be enforced.Under the plan, a limit of 30% of foreign students lacking sufficient Italian proficiency would be allowed in any individual classroom. The govt decree goes into effect immediately but needs to be endorsed within 60 days in parliament, where Meloni's coalition commands a majority. Meloni wrote on social media that they are "common-sense measures that do not divide but help foster genuine integration, avoiding 'ghetto' classrooms and giving all students equal opportunities." Foreign students who were born in the country would be exempt from the cap, along with those who have progressed through the school system. The decree also bans burqas and niqabs in schools while continuing to allow hijabs.Spanish city bans burqaThe Spanish city of Lleida on Friday approved a ban on full-face coverings in most public spaces in a rare step targeting the Muslim burqa and niqab in the country.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.