The document also implies a reduction in the number of foreign students who have arrived in the country recently and do not speak Italian well enough. According to the decree, there can be no more than 30% of such children in one class, otherwise they will have to be distributed between different classes and schools.
The measure, Meloni said, would promote “true integration, provide equal opportunities for all students and reduce the number of ghetto classrooms.”
A 30 percent limit on the number of foreign students in a class has been in effect since 2010, but authorities have allowed it to be exceeded.
The new decree also affects parents of foreign schoolchildren: they will be required to attend free Italian language courses. For refusal to study, a fine of 200 to 1000 euros is expected to be imposed.
Teachers and trade union representatives in Italy have criticized the document: they say it is difficult to distribute students between schools in areas with a high proportion of foreigners and believe that the 14 million euros that the government has allocated for language support will not be enough.
