In the 2023/24 school year there were 31,233 Bangladeshi pupils in Italian schools, 12.5% more than the year before; almost half are girls. Yet many newly arrived families do not know that school is a right even for those whose papers are not yet in order.
The right to education
By law, foreign minors have the right to education regardless of their residence status. A residence permit is not required to enrol in compulsory schooling: if documents are missing, the school must still accept the child. Even without a tax code, the system generates a temporary one.
How to enrol
- For the first year of primary and secondary school, enrolment is done online on the Ministry’s “Unica” platform, usually between January and February.
- Children who arrive during the year can enrol directly at the school office at any time.
- Nursery school (ages 3–6) follows the same timetable but may depend on available places.
After enrolment
Many schools offer Italian as a second language and, where possible, a cultural mediator for parent meetings. Ask for it explicitly. Attending parent meetings, checking the online register and signing children up for school meals and afternoon activities all help a great deal.
Don’t stop at secondary school
There are 1,166 Bangladeshi students at Italian universities, up 34.5%, but 33.4% of young Bangladeshis aged 18–24 are neither studying nor working. Regional study grants and guidance services are open to foreign students too.
