Keine Fehlerpunkte für Gendern in Klausuren
I have been very vocal about my frustration over the "Genderdebatte" in Germany recently. A few weeks ago, my sibling came home from school and told me, the teachers told them that they weren't allowed to use the Sonderzeichen for neutral language in exams, otherwise they will loose points for it. That is on orders of the "Ministerium" (subset of the government). That really feels like a step back.
Schools in our Bundesland (SH) are obliged to teach Students the writing and practical use of this neutral language, BUT when it comes to exams, the Government has made it clear that gendered language is NOT supposed to be used. Teachers are even supposed to give students less points for it.
This keeps the implication upright, that diversity-sensitive language is only used in order to be "politically correct" when it can be beneficial for oneself. It also keeps erasing diverse Identities from every day life, by effectively preventing the normalisation of said sensitive language.
Without practice, of course it is going to feel weird in your mouth to speak like that. And when the government actively doesn't want you to use this language in official exams, why bother using it in normal context then?
That is not to say that diversity-sensitive language is supposed to be a necessity for all exams. It complicates sentence-structure and thus is often not easy to read and speak in informal context. But losing points for trying to be inclusive is not an option.
This petition, initiated by students of a Gymnasium in my hometown, seeks to make it possible for students to use diversity-inlusive language (including Sonderzeichen) and still get full points on tests.
it is not trying to enforce use of this language for every test. Just to hand the decision to the students, to decide if they find it appropriate to use said language in the context their essay. Opening possibilities.
Please, if you are German: sign this.
If you are not German but still want to help: reblog, share, copy the link to other social media... you know how this goes.
I beg you; the debate over our language is heated. But forbidding people to try their best at being inclusive can not be the option to go with.
TLDR: German government makes students lose points for using inclusive language. Students started the petition to hand the decision to the student in the situation.