The German Teachers’ Association rejects so-called gendering by teachers. Teachers should “adhere to the official rules and refrain from writing that is not intended,” said the President of the German Teachers’ Association, Heinz-Peter Meidinger, to the German Press Agency. With students, however, they should be “tolerant and reserved” when they use “non-official gender spellings” in essays and exams, he added.
In Berlin, a father had failed with an urgent application before the administrative court. He had opposed the fact that teachers at his daughters’ grammar schools sometimes pause when speaking – for example with the word “female teachers”. Sometimes asterisks or a so-called Binnen-I are used in emails to parents or in school assignments. According to the German language association, which supports him, the man now wants to go to the higher administrative court. However, the case was not yet before the court on Thursday, as a spokeswoman said on request.
GEW is open to gender
The Education and Science Union (GEW) welcomed the Berlin court decision. The administrative court “made it clear that when teachers use gender-sensitive language, it cannot be seen that this violates the parental right to bring up children. We agree with this reasoning,” said Chairwoman Maike Finnern. The GEW is also open to gender through teachers: “Language is constantly changing. This must also be reflected in school lessons,” said Finnern.
