Saxony’s Ministry of Education Expands Guidelines for Gender-Fair Language to Cooperation Partners

Dresden (dpa / sn) – Saxony’s Ministry of Education is expanding its guidelines for gender-fair language – the so-called Gendern – to cooperation partners. Forms such as gender asterisks, underscores or colons for gender-sensitive designations in schools have long been rejected. The Ministry relies on the rules of the German Spelling Council. In a letter that dates from last week and is available to the German Press Agency, it is now decreed that this should also be contractually ensured with third parties, for example in projects.

This is a clarification, emphasized a ministry spokesman on Tuesday. The Ministry’s stance is not new. Two years ago, in a letter to the schools, it decreed that official regulations apply to official letters, letters to parents and teaching materials and that special characters for a gender-neutral language are taboo. According to the information, they are also marked as errors in essays. On the other hand, couple forms such as pupils and gender-neutral forms such as teachers or young people are recommended. The goal is a language that everyone can understand, it said again.

The “Leipziger Volkszeitung” and the “Dresdner Latest News” reported on the expansion of these requirements by decree on Tuesday. The approach has met with approval and criticism on social networks. “No one should be required to use gender-appropriate language or to refrain from doing so,” explained Luise Neuhaus-Wartenberg, the education politician for the left in the state parliament, in a statement. The ministry is sending a “fatal signal”. Neuhaus-Wartenberg argued that important allies who could help convey values ​​of democracy, tolerance and diversity would be excluded because of a formality.

There are regularly heated debates about gender in Germany. Only recently, the Zwickau City Council decided by a majority that the city administration and its own companies should not use any special characters for gender-sensitive designations in internal and external communication. The management of the Plauen-Zwickau theater is opposed to this and speaks of a “gender ban”.

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