Supreme Court validates Chihuahua education reform regarding Spanish grammar

The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) has upheld a reform to Chihuahua’s State Education Law that mandates the promotion of correct Spanish grammatical and orthographic rules. While the reform was challenged by the federal executive and opposition deputies on grounds of potential discrimination and violation of human rights, the Court ruled the law constitutional.

Crucially, the Court applied a ‘conforming interpretation,’ stating that the law cannot be used to prohibit, censor, or sanction the use of inclusive and non-sexist language in schools. The justices noted that while the legislative intent appeared to aim at eradicating inclusive language, the final text of the law does not explicitly forbid it.

Ministers emphasized that teaching standard grammar does not infringe upon the rights of indigenous people, Afro-descendants, or the right to gender equality. The ruling ensures that educational authorities in Chihuahua must respect principles of non-discrimination and the free development of personality while fostering linguistic standards.