Latest news with #languagepolicy
The National
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Germany's education minister suggests classroom cap on immigrant pupils
Germany's education minister has sparked heated debate after suggesting the proportion of migrant children in each school classroom could be capped at 30 or 40 per cent. Karin Prien's comments have drawn criticism from opposition parties and teachers' unions, who say the proposals would be unworkable in many parts of the country. During an interview with Welt TV, Ms Prien was asked whether introducing a policy similar to Denmark's, capping the number of migrant pupils per class, could be applied to Germany. She replied it was a "conceivable model" adding: "I think it always makes sense to look at the experiences of other countries, whether it is 30 per cent or 40 per cent in the end'. In Denmark, some secondary schools have tried setting up classes comprising entirely migrants and others with the percentage of migrants limited to 50 per cent in a bid to improve attainment. Ms Prien, a member of Chancellor Friedrich Merz 's Christian Democratic Union, said ensuring migrant pupils had German language skills was crucial and they should receive "compulsory language support measures" if necessary. 'Are we actually ensuring that children can speak German when they start school?' she said. 'Because without knowledge of German upon starting school, I actually have little chance of having a successful educational career". But Stefan Dull, president of the German Teachers' Association, said that in some areas of cities such as Berlin or Munich, the proportion of the population with a migrant background is about 50 per cent, and in some elementary schools, even 80 or 90 per cent. "At first glance, an upper limit for children with a migration background in school classes appears to be a possible solution to educational problems but in practice, it is hardly feasible,' he said. "An artificial limitation would mean that children would have to travel long distances to get to school, which is contrary to the principle of local schooling.' The Federal Government's Integration Commissioner, Natalie Pawlik, a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which is part of Mr Merz's coalition government, rejected the proposal and said integration is best achieved through targeted support. 'Germany does not need a quota in the classroom,' she said. Jasmina Hostert, education policy spokeswoman for the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag, said children must receive support in schools "regardless of their background'. Criticism of Ms Prien also came from the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party, which first came up with the idea of caps on migrant pupils in classrooms. The party described her proposal as 'too lax' and called for a limit of just ten per cent. Debate about the integration of migrant pupils into German schools comes as data from the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) shows pupils with foreign-born parents tend to do dramatically worse than those from indigenous families. Reading scores for immigrant children born outside the country were about 20 per cent lower than those of children whose parents were born in Germany. Andreas Schleicher, who founded the Pisa studies and continues to lead them, offered his backing to Ms Prien. 'We know from our comparative studies that the concentration of students with a migrant background is a crucial factor for school performance," he told the German newspaper Die Welt. "This means that education systems that evenly distribute students with a migrant background have a decisive advantage." Capping migrant pupils at 30 per cent in classrooms was proposed by Italy's education minister Maria Stella Gelmini, of the right wing People of Freedom Party, back in 2009 but the plan was shelved.
Telegraph
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Gender-neutral pronouns banned in German civil service
Germany's education minister has banned civil servants from using gender-neutral language in documents, in a pushback against a new trend recognising non-binary people. Karin Prien has told officials that they must stop inserting the so-called 'gender asterisk' into nouns, a means of referring to someone without assuming their gender. The new rules mean that her civil servants can no longer use words such as 'Kolleg*in [a gender-neutral colleague]' or 'Polizist*in [a gender-neutral police officer]' in written correspondence. It comes after Italy banned gender-neutral symbols in schools in a similar move last May, arguing that the practice undermined traditional and correct grammar. In standard German, nouns such as jobs must have a feminine or masculine form (e.g 'Lehrer' for a male teacher and 'Lehrerin' for a female teacher). When referring to a group of all-female teachers, the feminine 'Lehrerinnen' is used. However, when referring to a group of female and male teachers, the standard grammatical rule is to use the male 'Lehrer' with a plural article. As a way to make the language more equal between the sexes, and to include and signal support for non-binary people, some Germans have begun adding an asterisk to certain words (e.g 'Lehrer*innen') to make them appear gender-neutral. Others insert capital letters or an underscore into the middle of a word (e.g Lehrer_in) to achieve the same effect. 'Politically charged gender ideology' Critics of the practice claim it is confusing and alienates older people, who may not be familiar with modern gender politics. Some politicians have also warned that the practice is an attempt to impose a politically charged gender ideology onto everyday speech. According to the German tabloid Bild, which first reported the new rule, Ms Prien told colleagues: 'It will come as no surprise to you that the new house instruct that our communication follows the rules of the German Spelling Council and that we write inclusively, but without asterisks and capital letters.' Germany's Spelling Council is the official body which regulates the spelling of modern standard German and is the final authority on whether the spelling of a word may be changed. It does not currently recognise the use of gender asterisks, meaning they are not officially part of the German language. 'Should not be taught' Ms Prien has previously called for an end to gender-neutral spellings in schools on similar grounds. 'Gender-sensitive language is important, but special characters such as asterisks, colons and underscores should not be taught and used in school,' she said. Five regional governments in the German states — Bavaria, Saxony, Hesse, Schleswig-Holstein, and Saxony-Anhalt — have already banned the use of gender-neutral language in official documents. A German civil servant told The Telegraph that although they are not allowed to use the 'gender asterisk', they are instructed to keep the language as inclusive as possible while adhering to traditional grammar rules. [When referring to teachers that could be male or female] 'I mostly write 'Lehrerinnen und (and) Lehrer,' they said.
Russia Today
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukrainian official sends police after Russian-language singer
Ukraine's language ombudsman has called for a police probe into singer Verka Serduchka's recent Kiev concert, where several songs were performed in Russian. Language commissioner Taras Kremin cited possible violations of state law and a 2023 Kiev ban on public performances in Russian; some artists say the measures restrict cultural freedom. The concert included several Russian-language songs performed by Verka Serduchka, a drag act created by Ukrainian artist Andrey Danilko, who gained recognition after placing second at Eurovision 2007. 'There are signs of a serious violation,' Kremin said Saturday, calling on police to investigate. 'It's not just about the law, but about national dignity. And there will be consequences.' Ukrainian law mandates the use of the state language at cultural events, though exceptions are allowed for other languages if deemed artistically justified. Enforcement has been uneven, with some artists facing legal pressure for using Russian. Serduchka's shows have been scrutinized before. After a May 2024 concert featuring Russian songs, Kremin said no laws were broken but hoped such incidents would encourage the broader use of Ukrainian. Danilko has defended his use of Russian, calling it 'a tool for communication' and arguing it's hard to exclude in a bilingual society. In a 2024 interview with the Latvian broadcaster LTV, he said Ukraine's leadership aims to 'destroy the Russian language.' Ukraine's 'Ukrainization' campaign is aimed at promoting Ukrainian in schools, media, and public life. Critics say it pressures artists and institutions to abandon Russian, which is still widely spoken across much of the country. In March, Kremin said many Ukrainians remain unsure which language they consider primary, noting a decline in Ukrainian use, especially in schools, and urged the Education Ministry to act. A significant portion of the population, particularly in eastern regions, speaks or understands both languages. The language debate has long divided Ukraine, contributing to tensions that led to the 2014 Western-backed Euromaidan coup. Since then, the government has curtailed Russian language rights and accelerated efforts to sever cultural ties with Moscow, especially after hostilities escalated in February 2022. Russia has consistently criticized Ukraine's language policies, asserting that they infringe upon the rights of the Russian-speaking population.
