Italy's Council of Ministers approved a school decree-law on Thursday 24 September 2026 that changes how first-year classes are formed for children who move to Italy from abroad. From the 2027/2028 school year, pupils without Italian citizenship who were not born in Italy, or have not come through the Italian school system, may make up no more than 30% of any first-year class. When enrolments exceed that, the local school office places some children in nearby schools. The same decree lets social services require foreign parents with limited Italian to attend free language courses, with a fine for those who do not go. For families moving to Italy with school-age children from 2027, it can affect which school a child is placed in.
Background
A 30% guideline already exists. A 2010 circular from the then education minister, Mariastella Gelmini, set the same threshold, but it allowed wide exceptions and in practice left class formation to schools. The decree-law makes the cap binding. It was proposed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara and University Minister Anna Maria Bernini, and the government presents it as an integration measure built around language learning. The national head teachers' association questioned how it could work in neighbourhoods served by a single school, and Save the Children warned that moving children to other schools because of nationality or language would create "first-class" and "second-class" students. According to Il Post, 4,664 of Italy's 52,392 schools currently have more than 30% of pupils without Italian citizenship, mostly in the north and centre.
What exactly changed
According to the government's official communiqué, from 2027/2028 first-year classes must be formed so that their composition is balanced. In primary school, pupils with non-Italian citizenship who were not born in Italy, or who did not attend at least two years of Italian preschool (scuola dell'infanzia), may not exceed 30% of each first-year class. In lower and upper secondary school, the same cap applies to non-Italian citizens who have not completed at least three school years successfully in the Italian national system. When enrolments make the cap impossible to meet, the territorial school offices spread pupils across neighbouring schools, "respecting the principle of proximity to home". The decree also funds extra-curricular Italian lessons. Schools will report to social services any case where a foreign parent's limited Italian prevents effective contact between school and family. Social services can then enrol the parent in free courses at a provincial adult-education centre (CPIA), aiming for at least level A2. A parent who does not take part after a formal warning, and is not exempt, faces an administrative fine. The decree also bans taking part in school activities with the face covered, except for certified health reasons or teaching needs.
Before vs after
- Before: a 30% guideline from a 2010 ministry circular, with broad exceptions and class formation left to schools.
- After: a legal 30% cap per first-year class from school year 2027/2028, with the local school office redistributing pupils to nearby schools.
- Who counts toward the cap in primary school: non-Italian citizens not born in Italy, or without two years of Italian preschool.
- Who counts in secondary school: non-Italian citizens without three successful school years in the Italian system.
- Parents: referral by the school to social services, free Italian courses to at least A2, and a fine for non-attendance (€200 to €1,000 in the draft text reported by Il Post).
Who it affects and what to do
The rule turns on citizenship and schooling history, not country of origin. A child with only a US, British, Indian or other non-Italian passport who starts first grade in Italy after arriving from abroad counts toward the cap. The communiqué says "non-Italian citizenship" and makes no exception for EU citizens, so a German or French child arriving from abroad would count too. A child who holds Italian citizenship, for example through a parent, does not. The cap applies only to first-year classes: first grade of primary, the first year of lower secondary (scuola media) and the first year of upper secondary. A family moving to Milan with a six-year-old in 2027 should allow for the nearest state school having reached its quota and the child being placed at another school nearby. Valditara told reporters the measure would affect around 1,000 classrooms, about 0.3% of the total, so most families will see no difference. Where it does apply, it is most likely in city districts with many recent arrivals. If you are moving in the next year, secure a school place early and ask the school how it expects to apply the 2027/2028 rules. Our guide at /country-guides/italy covers residence registration and the other steps that come before school enrolment.
When it takes effect
Approved by the Council of Ministers on 24 September 2026 as a decree-law. According to AP, it takes effect immediately but must be approved by parliament within 60 days, where the governing coalition has a majority. The 30% class cap applies from school year 2027/2028, which starts in September 2027.
What is not yet confirmed
The decree-law had not appeared in the Gazzetta Ufficiale when this was written, so the details come from the government communiqué and a draft circulated to journalists. The fine amounts and the wording on exemptions for proven family needs (such as caring for a child with a disability) come from that draft and could change. It is not yet clear whether the cap covers private or international schools, how a parent's Italian will be assessed before a referral, or what parliament may change during the 60-day conversion.
Key Takeaway
From September 2027, a child without Italian citizenship who arrives from abroad can be placed at a nearby school instead of the closest one if its first-year classes have reached the 30% cap, so families planning a move should secure school places early.