Rome (AFP) – Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s cabinet adopted a decree law Thursday banning burqas and niqabs in schools and capping the number of students with a poor command of Italian per class.

It introduces “A 30 percent cap on the number of students in a class who do not have an adequate command of Italian, more tools for learning our language, and a ban on the burqa and niqab in schools,” Meloni wrote on social media.

If a child seriously struggles to integrate at school, social services will be called and the parents will be obliged to attend free Italian lessons.

Failure to comply will be punished with a fine of up to 1,000 euros ($1,140).

Italy is a frontline country for migration and integration is a hot campaign issue ahead of next year’s general election.

Save the Children warned forcing children to change schools or enrol in a different institution from their peers simply because of their nationality or limited proficiency in Italian would “create ‘first-class’ and ‘second-class’ students”.

But Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara said “inadequate language proficiency… hinders educational progress”.

“Parental participation in their child’s educational path is fundamental for academic success”, he told journalists.

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