Meloni caps foreign pupils in classrooms and bans burqa in schools before 2026 vote

Italy's government passed a decree limiting classrooms to 30% of students who inadequately know Italian, banning burqas and niqabs in schools, and requiring parents of children with persistent integration or language problems to attend free Italian classes or face fines. Giorgia Meloni of Brothers of Italy called the measures commonsense integration tools; critics say the government is courting far-right voters ahead of next year's general election.