Muslim female teachers allowed to wear hijab in schools

The Berlin teachers have won a major victory after years of struggle. As a result, Berlin’s education department has instructed school leaders to implement the decision to allow Muslim teachers to wear headscarves in school.

Notably, a law passed in 2005 banned public service workers, including teachers, from wearing religious symbols or emblems. However, last January, the Federal Labor Court struck down this “neutral” law, deeming it “discriminatory” and “infringement of constitutionally guaranteed freedom of religion”. This prompted the Berlin authorities to take it to the Federal Constitutional Court.

Read: Hijab ban at school in Germany?

After reviewing the law, the Federal Constitutional Court concluded that it was indeed discriminatory and violated the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of religion. As a result, the Berlin Department of Education asked school principals to allow Muslim female teachers to wear the veil in class. However, it has been said in the court ruling that the wearing of headscarf can be banned only if it disturbs the peace of the school.