Schools brace for upheaval as decree stalls at accounting check
The Italian government's controversial school decree, which caps foreign students at 30% of any class, remains stuck at the state accounting office five days after cabinet approval. The text has not yet reached the Quirinale for the President of the Republic's signature, meaning the official publication in the Gazzetta Ufficiale is on hold until budget experts verify the funding covers the promises.
The decree, approved by the Council of Ministers on 24 September, would take effect from the 2027/2028 school year for first-year classes. The 30% limit applies to pupils without Italian citizenship who were not born in Italy or have not completed at least two years in an Italian preschool. Students already integrated into the system are excluded from the count.
Milan and Prato face class closures
Milan's mayor, Giuseppe Sala, warned that the measure could force authorities to close entire schools in some neighbourhoods. "The percentage cap worries me most," he said. "I fear we will have to close some classes, or even schools, not by our own choice. There are neighbourhoods where children of immigrants exceed 30%."
Prato, in Tuscany, holds the highest concentration of foreign students nationally at 30.8%. More than 41% of the city's schools already exceed the proposed threshold. In Milan, 132 schools out of 309 surpass the 30% mark. The decree requires territorial school offices to redistribute pupils among nearby institutions where the cap cannot be met, respecting the principle of proximity where possible.
Gaetano Manfredi, mayor of Naples and president of the National Association of Municipalities (ANCI), urged caution given decades of immigrant communities in certain areas. "In the Vesuvian area there are many workers in textiles and agriculture, so there is a natural concentration," he noted.
Regions hold fire on legal challenges
Eugenio Giani, president of the Tuscany region, called the measure "unworthy of a country that has welcome and integration among its constitutional principles," citing Florence neighbourhoods where 70% of children in some classes are non-citizens. He questioned whether the government intended to send those pupils away.
Michele de Pascale, president of Emilia-Romagna, said regions could only challenge the decree if it violated their legislative powers. "At a first glance I do not believe these elements exist," he told journalists, adding that mountain schools with high percentages and the nearest alternative 50 kilometres away would face practical difficulties.
Silvia Miglietta, Puglia's regional councillor for culture, said the rule would not be operational until next year since classes for the current term are already formed. She noted a partial government retreat from an earlier draft that would have stripped parental responsibility from families deemed to obstruct integration.
Unions and students mobilise
Trade unions generally supportive of the government expressed doubts. Elvira Serafini, leader of Snals, said linguistic and cultural integration "cannot be entrusted only to percentage limits." Giuseppe D'Aprile of Uil Scuola warned of "derogations and unclear criteria that can create confusion and discrimination."
The student collective Osa organised protests across Italy and a flash mob outside the Chamber of Deputies. Students labelled the measure "the racism decree" and announced strikes against what they called "state racism." In Genoa, parents hung a banner reading "Here no one is foreign" at an elementary school, which police removed.
School principals from ANP urged calm, with president Antonello Giannelli calling the provisions "inspired by common sense" and saying the real test would be application.
Families face transport costs
Consumer group Assoutenti calculated the economic impact on households. A pupil transferred 4 kilometres from their local school would cost families between €374 and €448 annually in fuel for private transport. The estimate assumes 16 kilometres of daily travel over 200 school days. Public transport annual passes for under-19s can reach €260 without ISEE-based discounts.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni defended the decree on social media, listing measures including €21 million for free or subsidised textbooks and €20 million annually in direct family contributions for households with ISEE up to €40,000. She said the reform aimed to give students "more tools, more opportunities and adequate training for the world awaiting them."
Ban on face coverings clarified
Rumours circulated that the decree would relax rules on wearing burqas or niqabs in schools. The Ministry of Education clarified that no change occurred: the text bans any form of face covering during school activities, with logical exceptions for health or educational reasons.
The decree must pass the Quirinale review for constitutionality, particularly regarding Article 34 of the Constitution, which states that schools are open to all. Parliament must convert it into law within 60 days of publication.
