Bern Government Rejects Proposal to Ease Headscarf Ban in Schools
The Bern cantonal government has reaffirmed its stance on religious neutrality in public schools, opposing a proposal by the Social Democratic Party (SP) to ease the ban on teachers wearing headscarves. The SP had put forth the proposal, but the government maintains that denominational neutrality is a constitutional principle.
Currently, female teachers in Bern are prohibited from wearing headscarves in the classroom. Two SP cantonal parliamentarians, Samira Martini and Valentina Achermann, suggested relaxing this rule to help address the ongoing teacher shortage. However, the government has clarified that the neutrality provisions apply to all religious symbols or clothing, and are unrelated to the teacher shortage.
The government's decision comes despite no specific information being available about which members of the government belong to the SP.
The Bern cantonal government has reiterated its commitment to denominational neutrality in public schools, rejecting the SP's proposal to ease the headscarf ban. The government's stance is guided by the cantonal constitution and public school law, and it considers the principle of neutrality to be of paramount importance.
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