Luxembourg Education System
Outline of Report
Slide 1
Good morning Dean, good morning everyone. So, my report will cover the education system in
Luxembourg.
luhk·suhm·brg
Well, Luxembourg is one of the smallest but richest countries in the whole wide world. There is
so much fascinating facts about Luxumbourg and one of them is their education system.
Factors
Luxembourg’s education system is shaped by the country’s political, economic,
demographic and linguistic particularities, such as:
1. Small territory
Although the population is small in terms of numbers, it is extremely diverse: more than 47% of
residents are foreigners, of more than 170 different nationalities; 84% are nationals of a European Union
member State
2. Multinational population and workforce
Luxembourg’s demographic situation is characterised by high immigration rates and a
strong presence of foreigners
3. Multilingualism
Today people in Luxembourg speak a variety of languages. The national language is Luxembourgish,
which is a blend of Dutch, German, and French. However, French is used by the government, German is
primarily used by the press, and many Luxembourgers learn English in school.
THE LAW
According to their law, education is compulsory for children who turn 4 before 1st
September of a given year.
Take for example, if your child was born in Luxembourg and you register them with the
local authorities in your commune, you will automatically receive a notice to enrol them
in a Luxembourg primary school.
Children in the country must remain in school for 12 consecutive years.
This means that education is a requirement – but it is also a right, as stipulated in the Law of 6
February 2009 on compulsory education. It is thus impossible to bar children from entering
school on the basis of religion, gender, nationality or language. Visit the Ville de Luxembourg
website for other useful information, like how the different stages of education work and when
classes take place.
Read more: https://my-life.lu/en/everything-you-need-to-know-about-luxembourg-schools-
57011/
HOW TO ENROL
For children who aren’t residents of Luxembourg, there is no law guaranteeing a place in
a school there. However, this doesn’t mean they can’t enrol, it only means their
acceptance is up to the people who run the institution. Normally, the decision will be
most influenced by where you live and how many places are available.
If you want to enrol your child in a private school, you will have to begin the process
early.
TYPES OF SCHOOL
Like all European countries, Luxembourg has both private schools and public (or state)
schools.
Private schools charge tuition fees, while public schools do not. Beyond what they cost,
it’s important to know that private schools have their own ways of working and their own
teaching methods. Unlike public schools, they don’t all follow the official curriculum of the
Luxembourg Ministry of Education.
Slide 2
Starting off with the fundamental education…
The fundamental education starts with the early childhood education. Children
The government runs most schools in Luxembourg for free. School is mandatory between ages
4 to 16 years old.
The fundamental education consists of preschool and primary school. It is obligatory from the
age of 4 onwards and is composed of 4 cycles instead of school years:
1st cycle: children aged 3–5 (at the beginning of the year)
2nd cycle: ages 6–7
3rd cycle: ages 8–9
4th cycle: ages 10–11
…and his system was introduced in the law of 21 January 2009.
The Luxembourg State organizes and controls the educational system.
Compulsory education covers a total of eleven years, two years of preprimary education,
six years of primary education, and three years of secondary education.
Public education in Luxembourg is free. The costs are paid by the public budget-making.
Making education one of the largest expenditures in the state budget.
Municipalities pay for textbooks and equipment at the primary level. By the Act of 14 July
1986, school children are now paid an allowance. School transport is free.
Financial assistance and scholarships are granted to students in higher education based
on parental income and academic success.
Secondary Education
Secondary education lasts 6–7 years, and consists of:
General regime
Classical system
Technical training
Secondary Education
regime
Technical System
Professional regime
Preparatory regime
Classical system (enseignement secondaire):[1] Geared towards a university education. It
offers a general, all-round education. The objective is for the students to acquire fundamental
knowledge of human sciences, literature, mathematics and natural sciences
Technical system (enseignement secondaire technique):[1] Emphasis more on vocational
education. It may, however, also allow access to university studies. It is divided into 4 régimes:
o General régime (régime classique equivalent and allows access to university studies;
replaced by the régime technique)
o Technician training régime (50% theoretical and 50% practical; allows access to
higher technical studies)
o Professional régime resulting in a Certificate of technical and professional aptitude
(CATP) (75% practical and 25% theoretical)
o Preparatory régime, for those who have not yet fulfilled the requirements of
fundamental education
Higher Education
Universities
Higher Education
Non-University
Classical University
Educational Optional 3-year Fundamental Secondary
System old preschool Education Education
Technical Job
The Luxembourg educational system places an emphasis on
languages. Consequently, Luxembourg pupils learn at least three foreign
languages as part of their schooling. The system also offers a wide range of
measures and subjects that are aimed at integrating foreign pupils.
Universities
Higher Education in Luxembourg
The University of Luxembourg, with three campuses, is the only university in the
nation.Before its founding in August 2003, Luxembourgish students traveled abroad to
achieve higher education.More than 6, 200 students were enrolled for study in the fall of
2012, including students from 100 foreign nations.The university’ s 213 lecturers represent
20 nationalities. The highly diversified international culture of the university makes it an ideal
location to pursue international studies.
The University of Luxembourg provides an excellent opportunity to immerse oneself in a
multilingual environment. Most classes are conducted in two languages, either English and
German, French and English, or German and French. Mastery of these languages
enhances the international culture of the school while adding depth to the international
studies presented here.
The University of Luxembourg's main building on the Limpertsberg campus
Higher education in Luxembourg is dominated by the University of Luxembourg, this being the only
fully-fledged university in Luxembourg. It was founded in 2003. [4]
The following foreign universities have campuses or outposts in Luxembourg:
Open University Luxembourg: A cooperation between the Luxembourg Lifelong Learning
Center, the Luxembourg Chamber of Employees in the private sector, and the British Open
University, offering evening or distance-learning courses[5]
Sacred Heart University Luxembourg: A campus of Sacred Heart University[6]
Miami University Dolibois European Center (MUDEC): A campus of Miami University[6]
Non-university higher education
Higher education is also offered by several lycées techniques, in the areas of business and
management, arts, and healthcare. After three years of study, this leads to the award of a Brevet de
technicien supérieur (BTS).[7]
Since 2013, the Lycée classique d'Echternach offers classes préparatoires for the French grandes
écoles.[7]
Multilingualism
Tri-lingualism is a feature of the state education system, and of Luxembourgish society in general.
From pre-school onwards, Luxembourgish is spoken with the children. For the large number of
foreign children in the country, this may be their first exposure to Luxembourgish. From the age of 6,
children are taught to read and write German. [9] The year after, French is introduced, while the
language of instruction is German. [9]
In secondary school, German is the vehicular language in the Lycées techniques, and in the lower
years of the Lycées classiques.[9] From the age of 15, however, French is used in Lycées classiques.
English is added as a further obligatory language in all secondary schools. In Lycées classiques,
pupils may optionally also choose to take lessons in Latin, Spanish or Italian. [9] The number of hours
per week devoted to language teaching at all levels of school is high, at 50% of teaching time. [9]
Similarly, for the University of Luxembourg, one of its defining features is its "multi-lingual character":
it uses English, French and German. [6]
Additional Information
Although a small country, Luxembourg has become more independent with its resources in
recent years. One of the most successful aspects of the nation is its education system. According
to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development program (OECD), the quality
of education in Luxembourg surpasses many other nations.
According to reports made in 2011, 77% of people in Luxembourg have at least an upper
secondary education. This is equivalent to a high school education. The number exceeds the
OECD average of only 75%. The younger generation is excelling even further, with 83% of 25-
34 year-olds having completed a high school education.
Teachers are well-paid. Teachers in Luxembourg earn the highest out of all the countries that are
a part of the OECD. Their starting salary is an average of 73,700 euros. More experienced
teachers earn an average of 128,200 euros. Compared to the United States’ teachers’ starting
salary of 43,324 dollars and maximum salary of 66,054 dollars, the salaries in Luxembourg are
considerably higher. Teachers in Luxembourg are also young; half of primary and secondary
school teachers are under the age of 40.
Education in Luxembourg is trilingual. The languages that are mandatory are Luxembourgish,
German and French. Students first learn Luxembourgish and then in primary schools, they learn
German as a second language. When students advance to secondary education, they learn
French. English is also an option as well if students choose to learn it. As a result, students in
Luxembourg learn more languages than other students around the world.
Before the University of Luxembourg was founded in 2003, there were no four-year
universities in the country. Students who wanted to go to a university had to travel abroad to do
so. Although the University of Luxembourg is fairly small, 55% of students are international and
the university offers multilingual courses.
The educational system in Luxembourg is one of the most successful in the world, and for good
reason. With well-paid teachers and multiple languages incorporated into the curriculum, there is
a high standard for success.
