Public European Schools are continuing to grow in Luxembourg, despite criticism from the Trade Union of Secondary School Teachers (FÉDUSE), which recently warned that a parallel school system is being created alongside the traditional model. Minister of Education Claude Meisch rejects that characterisation, describing the European Schools as a much-needed alternative that will continue to be expanded.
Differdange was the first municipality to introduce a public European School. Ten years ago, the school opened its doors in Luxembourg’s third-largest city, an anniversary that was recently celebrated.
According to school director Gérard Zens, the European model was chosen because the traditional Luxembourg school offer did not sufficiently reflect the linguistic reality of the local population. He explained that many languages are spoken in the area and that some pupils struggled early on in primary school because they did not fully understand Luxembourgish or German. The European School model was therefore selected as an alternative better suited to the community, he said.
The school began with 142 pupils and 24 teachers across two sites. Today, it has grown to 2,450 pupils and 260 teaching staff.
Nationwide, public European Schools now count 2,076 pupils in primary education and 4,503 in secondary education. These students are spread across six public European Schools, with three more planned. The next is set to open in Schifflange.
In conversation with RTL, Meisch insisted that public European Schools are open to everyone, just like any other public school. However, he stressed the importance of offering an alternative to the traditional system.
He pointed to the greater linguistic flexibility available in European Schools, where pupils can learn in a language closer to their own background while also tailoring additional language learning to their needs and strengths.
This flexibility has made the schools particularly attractive to the international community. Currently, only 34% of pupils in European Schools are Luxembourgish nationals. French and Portuguese students form the second- and third-largest groups. In total, 107 different nationalities are represented across the public European Schools.
At the Lycée Gaston Thorn in Luxembourg City, which recently held an open day, parents and pupils were introduced to the European School model. One distinctive feature of these schools is that enrolment, including for the equivalent of Year 7, begins earlier than in traditional lycées, where registration usually takes place in the summer.
Another difference is that pupils are invited to attend an interview after registering. Jessy Medinger, director of Lycée Gaston Thorn, emphasised that this is not a selection procedure. Rather, it is intended to establish early contact and guide pupils in their choices, particularly regarding their first and second language options, she said.
Medinger explained that many students are unsure about which language is strongest for them or which additional language they should choose, with the discussion helping to ensure they make the right decision.
The Lycée Gaston Thorn is currently located on the Geesseknäppchen campus in Luxembourg City. However, plans are under way to relocate the school to a new site in Strassen, opposite the Hospital Centre of Luxembourg (CHL).
