Berlin officially allows wearing hijab in schools
The government of Berlin is preparing to amend the controversial neutrality law, allowing female teachers to officially wear the hijab in schools, after this had been rejected since 2005. Both the CDU and SPD parties reached a final agreement at the end of June regarding this amendment, which is set to be presented in the local parliament on July 10.
This change came in the wake of a ruling issued by the Federal Constitutional Court in 2023, which deemed the general ban on hijabs for teachers unconstitutional. Although this ruling eased the restrictions on wearing hijabs, its implementation has remained unofficial so far. Berlin is now working to legally establish these amendments, according to a report published by the 'Berliner Morgenpost'.
After the ruling was issued, the Berlin education administration issued a statement clarifying that the hijab is only prohibited if it is clearly proven to threaten school peace or state neutrality, representing a shift in the way the previous law is applied. The CDU and SPD say that this step implements an important clause in the governing coalition agreement, pointing out that Berlin has been violating the constitution for years, and that the legal amendment has become necessary to correct this situation.
For her part, the politician from the Green Party, Tuba Bozkurt, expressed her reservations, stating that the new formula is unclear and opens the door to different interpretations. She described the agreement as a "weak compromise," considering that the concept of "threatened school peace" is not based on clear criteria, making it subject to interpretation in practical application.
Despite these criticisms, the CDU and SPD confirm that no problems have occurred in Berlin schools since the allowance of wearing the hijab in 2023, and they see the legal amendment as a step towards more clarity and legal certainty in the future.