He assures that the criterion will be "purely linguistic" - therefore simply citizenship will not count but knowledge of Italian - and that the rule is not in conflict with the Colle because the objective is to avoid "ghetto classes" in the "Alabama of the 50s" style. On the eve of the arrival on the table of the Council of Ministers of the measure that introduces a cap on foreigners in schools, the Minister of Education Giuseppe Valditara provides some details on the measure, while discussions continue between the offices of the Quirinale and those of the ministry to refine the text, after the tensions of the last few hours. "It will be a law decree, because we need to intervene immediately", announces Valditara, connecting from New York to the press conference presenting a package of League rules against Islamic fundamentalism in Italy, including the proposed law on "places of worship, citizenship, foreign funding and preachers". "This year it will concern the new arrivals but let's be clear, let's not divide the classes" assures Valditara speaking of "a lot of exploitation" on this matter, with the use of "improper words, such as racism and suprematism, which in a civilized country" he would not have wanted to hear.
"The words of Mattarella and Zuppi have been exploited - he attacks - We also want integration". No comment on the topic from the Quirinale. Although in parliamentary circles, interpreting Colle's thoughts on the subject, it is remembered that the right to study is enshrined in Article 34 of the Constitution and that will be the lighthouse with which the Head of State will examine the text being studied by the government. Just as the Executive will have to evaluate the actual need for an emergency decree on rules that should start next year. Everything will depend - the same sources reason - on its content about which, at the moment, there continues to be maximum secrecy: there has been no pre-Council of Ministers and various ministries make it known that they have not had any type of advance notice. The provision, essentially, will introduce a limit of 30% in classes of students who do not know Italian adequately. It will therefore also concern community children.
However, those who have attended nursery school or a sufficient number of years in Italian institutions will be excluded from the count. For this reason, it may not affect all 34 thousand classes with a high concentration of foreigners. In practice, the school offices will coordinate the principals to distribute them "in a more balanced way among the nearby schools" and where this is not physically possible, exemptions will be provided and the teaching of Italian will be strengthened. In particular, the minister reiterates, funding of over 14 million is foreseen for 'personalised' courses. "The objective is to avoid concentrations that slow down the learning of all children" and "to promote integration" he maintains. Mandatory language courses will then also begin for parents of foreign students with particular learning or behavioral difficulties. Islamic clothing is also banned. "Burqa and niqab have no place in Italian schools" Valditara cuts short. However, it will be necessary to understand how this rule will be written as the ban could conflict with the 2008 ruling of the Council of State which establishes that wearing the full veil for religious reasons constitutes a "justified reason" which excludes the violation of the rules on the ban on masking, unless there is an unmotivated refusal to be identified by the authorities.
And in the aftermath of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's interview on Porta a Porta which brought up the circulars from Sergio Mattarella's Minister of Education in which he invited foreigners not to be concentrated in the same classes, the controversy does not abate. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini speaks of a "sensible" rule and takes the opportunity to make a new attack on the opposition: "For some of the Democratic Party the problem is not relevant because many of them can send their children to private institutions within the limited traffic zone". "I didn't understand the controversy. The objective seemed common to everyone, that of helping integration" claims the president of the Senate, Ignazio La Russa. The mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala has a different opinion and dismisses the decree as "fluff". For the vice president of the Chamber and dem deputy Anna Ascani, however, "the government is making propaganda on schools, on the skin of children and young people". The Skuola.net portal highlights that at the time of Minister Mattarella's provisions, there were just over 15 thousand foreign students in Italy, representing a completely marginal impact on the total number of students enrolled. Today, however, there are almost a million.
