Germany’s most populous state plans to ban female Muslim teachers from wearing headscarves in schools from next August.

Officials in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia told the newspaper Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung the ban was 'not targeting religious beliefs' and would be discussed with Muslim groups.

"Female and male teachers are not allowed to express any world views or any religious beliefs which could disturb or endanger the peace at school," North Rhine-Westphalia Schools Minister Barbara Sommer said.

"That's why we want to forbid Muslim teachers at state schools from wearing headscarves."

Sommer is a member of the Christian Democrats, who ousted Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democrats from North Rhine-Westphalia in state elections in May.

The state is home to about 18 million of Germany's 82.5 million people. Germany has 3 million Muslims, most of them Turks.

Christian Democrat leader Angela Merkel, who opposes Turkey's full membership of the European Union, is expected to replace Schroeder as chancellor after the September 18 general election.

France, where Muslims make up 8 per cent of the population, ordered a ban on headscarves at schools in March last year.

PHOTO CAPTION

Pope Benedict XVI talks to Elyas Nadeem, chairman of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany, as he receives delegates of Muslim communities in Cologne, Germany, in this Aug. 20, 2005 file photo. (AP)