Education Minister Claude Meisch faces union calls for urgent action on special needs care and improved communication, as well as skepticism over managing dual roles in education and housing.
According to Patrick Remakel, president of national teachers' union SNE, Minister of Education Claude Meisch should have an open ear and be ready to discuss their demands. He hopes that Meisch will act swiftly when it comes to urgent issues, such as the care for special needs children.
One advantage of Meisch staying in office is that he will not need 100 days to familiarise himself with pertinent education issues, argued Remakel.
Joëlle Damé, president of the SEW union, expects Meisch to change his communication approach in this new legislative period. She further hopes that attention will be paid to those working in the sector and that unions will be consulted on important issues.
While the SEW desired a president for the school committee, which has not been retained in the coalition agreement, they praise the idea of reviewing language classes in secondary education.
The SNE is in favour of aligning kindergarten staffing with those in preschools where each class has one teacher and one educator in charge. However, Remakel showed himself skeptical of the educational requirements of teachers, pleading for a Master degree over a Bachelor degree, and concluding that there are positives and negatives to be expected.
Both unions hope that Meisch will fully dedicate himself to education. When asked about his simultaneous appointment as Minister for Housing, Damé questioned the ability of a single person to tackle two such important issues.
