The General Confederation of the Civil Service (CGFP), and specifically its teachers' section, Féduse, has reacted with alarm to Luxembourg's disappointing performance in the latest international PISA assessment.
The union is urging policymakers to engage in a fundamental discussion about the current orientation and priorities of the school system, warning that immediate reforms are needed to address the underlying issues.
Féduse emphasises that students must once again show greater willingness to make an effort in school.
The union is particularly critical of the current policy allowing students in the first three years of secondary school to advance automatically, regardless of whether they have unresolved shortcomings in individual subjects. According to Féduse, this practice undermines academic expectations and does not motivate students to address their deficits.
The union agrees with the recent proposal to restrict smartphone use at school, but points out that any such measures must also consider how to limit device use during students' free time. Féduse believes that addressing digital distraction both inside and outside of school is needed if educational outcomes are to improve.
