The Council of Ministers approved three decree-laws on September 24: School, Justice, and Euro 5 DieselThe school provision addresses the start of the 2026/27 school year, the integration of foreign students, and several measures related to higher education and research. The School Decree It was the most politically and socially anticipated measure. The central point is the prediction of a 30% ceiling in first year classes for foreign students falling within the categories identified by the decree, with different criteria depending on the school level. In primary school, the limit applies to students with non-Italian citizenship who were not born in Italy or who have not attended at least two years of preschool; in middle school and high school, it applies to foreign students who have not successfully completed at least three years of the national education system.
The most anticipated measure: the School Decree
A second chapter concerns learning ItalianThe measure provides free courses for parents of foreign students in cases where the family's language barriers hinder the child's school integration. The draft circulated before the Council of Ministers also provided for, in cases of persistent lack of cooperation and serious difficulties, possibility of reporting to social services and the placement of the minor outside the family: this is one of the points on which it is particularly important to wait for the final text to verify the precise wording and conditions. The decree also introduces the prohibition on participating in school activities with your face completely covered, except for specific health or safety reasons. The measure therefore concerns, among others, burqa and niqabViolations are subject to an administrative fine ranging from €200 to €1.000; if the violation is committed by a minor, the penalty falls on the parent.
The Justice and Euro 5 diesel decrees
On the front JusticeThe Council of Ministers approved a decree that, among other things, extends the contracts of 1.257 employees at the Office for the Process until December 31, 2026, with an allocation of more than 31 million euros. The measure It also intervenes on the training of magistrates and grants the National Anti-Mafia and Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor coordination powers, including in proceedings involving minors.
As regards the Euro 5 dieselThe Government has approved a one-year extension of traffic restrictions in the Po Valley: the ban is expected to start on 1 October 2026. is moved to October 1, 2027 for the affected areas of Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna. The stated objective is to avoid significant impacts on the mobility of citizens and businesses and to allow the Regions greater flexibility in environmental planning.
The words of Prime Minister Meloni
“Today – commented Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on X – we approved the decree on schools in the Council of Ministers. A limit of 30% in classes for students who do not have an adequate knowledge of Italian, more tools for learning our language, and an end to burqas and niqabs in schools. Common-sense tools that don't divide, but help foster true integration, avoiding ghetto-like classrooms and giving all students the same opportunities. This is the direction we want to continue pursuing: a school that integrates without giving up the rules, which supports those who have the most difficulties and which puts everyone in a position to start from the same point.
