Italy's Education Minister Says 34,000 Classes Exceed 30% Foreign-Student Threshold

Italian Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara has said that approximately 34,000 school classes across the country now have a foreign student population exceeding 30%, according to ministry figures.

Valditara clarified that these current figures and any related policy discussions have nothing to do with older ministerial circulars, which he said dealt with considerably smaller numbers of foreign students in individual classes.

Policy context

The minister's comments come amid a broader national conversation in Italy over how schools should manage classes with significant proportions of foreign-born students, an issue that has drawn political attention as immigration and integration remain prominent topics of public debate.

The data on the 34,000 classes provides context for policy discussions concerning resource allocation, language support programmes and integration measures within Italy's school system, particularly in regions where foreign student populations are more concentrated.

Valditara's remarks did not specify what policy response, if any, the ministry plans to pursue regarding classes that exceed the 30% threshold, though the statement suggests the issue remains a live topic within Italy's education policy discussions.