Family Minister: Giffey wants to tolerate "no religious excuses" at the swimming school

B Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Franziska Giffey, does not want to allow students to stay away from swimming or physical education for religious reasons. "There must be no cultural or religious excuse for swimming and physical education," said the SPD politician of the "Rheinische Post". In Germany, there is compulsory education – and swimming lessons are part of it.

"This is ultimately worth a fine," demanded the former mayor of the multicultural Berlin-Neukölln district. It is important to have conversations with parents and their children.

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As "nonsense", Giffey says that she is for the distribution of so-called Burkinis in schools. AfD had accused the family minister of supporting special rights for fundamentalist Muslims who did not want to comply with German rules.

Previously, Giffey had said that although she was not at all in favor of wearing Burkinism in swimming lessons, federal politicians should not rise above when schools ensure the participation of Muslim students at swimming clbades. The ultimate goal was for all children to learn to swim – regardless of their background and religion.

The trigger of the debate was the case in June at a high school in Herne, North Rhine-Westphalia, which had bought 20 borrowed Burkinese. These cover all parts of the body except the face, hands and feet.