- Berlin schools to ban gender stars until 2026
Following the decision by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) to ban the use of gender asterisks and other special characters in schools, the implementation of this rule in Berlin has been delayed until 2026. The Senate responded to a query from Alexander King (BSW) that teachers would be informed by the start of the next school year. However, specific guidelines for enforcing these rules are still being discussed.
The KMK had previously stated in a communication that words containing gender asterisks are not part of official German orthography. This remains the case in the new official guidelines. "These word-internal symbols do not form part of the core of German orthography," it reads. Schools are expected to fully implement the new rules by the 2027/28 school year at the latest. Some federal states have already issued corresponding guidelines.
The decision by the Conference of Ministers of Education to prohibit gender asterisks and special characters in schools is widely supported by educational institutions across Germany. The new guidelines, set to be implemented by the 2027/28 school year, will require all schools to adhere strictly to this policy.
