Former MEP candidate Lee Bugeja Bartolo has called on Malta to follow Italy’s lead by introducing limits on the number of foreign pupils in individual classrooms, as well as restrictions on Islamic face coverings and headscarves in schools.In a social media post, Bugeja Bartolo, who contested the 2024 European Parliament election, said Malta should “immediately follow in Italy’s footsteps”, arguing that such measures would protect the country’s national identity.“Malta must immediately follow in Italy’s footsteps in limiting the number of foreigners in classrooms and banning the hijab and burqa of girls in schools across Malta and Gozo,” he wrote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lovin Malta (@lovinmalta)His comments come after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced that her government is working on legislation that would establish a maximum number of foreign pupils per classroom and introduce restrictions on burqas and niqabs in schools. The measures have not yet become law.Meloni has argued that the measures are intended to promote integration, saying Italian children should not find themselves becoming a minority in their classrooms.The proposed classroom cap has also prompted debate in Italy. Opposition politicians have criticised the plans, while school leaders have questioned how a mandatory limit could work in neighbourhoods where there are high concentrations of foreign families.Italy already has guidelines recommending a 30% ceiling on foreign pupils in individual classes, but the head of the country’s National Association of School Principals has said the recommendation has proved difficult to implement in practice.Bugeja Bartolo questioned why Malta could not introduce similar measures, asking: “If our neighbours have the strength and resolve to protect their national identity, why can’t we?”What do you make of his proposal?•