Integration ‘does not work’ in the current system: Minister for Education

This Monday marks the start of the new school year for 63,000 primary school pupils in Luxembourg. On Tuesday, it will be the turn of Year 7 students to begin their first year of secondary school. All remaining secondary school pupils are set to return to class on Wednesday, completing the staggered start to the academic year.

Luxembourg retains “tablet” classes

While several Scandinavian countries are stepping back from the widespread use of digital devices in schools, Luxembourg is maintaining its commitment to tablet-based learning.

In a recent study, the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that pupils who studied with a tablet lagged significantly behind others. In reading, they were about two years behind other pupils.

Minister Claude Meisch shared that although he could not confirm this finding, it was nevertheless important to strike a balance: "It seemed to us that the tablet had become a gadget with the slogan “Come to our school, you'll get a tablet”. And we now know – and this is not only a new discovery for schools, but also a new discovery for society – that many things that are done on tablets and smartphones are not good for young people. That is why we should be more cautious."

AI use only in secondary school

Over the course of this school year, the Ministry for Education will develop a strategy to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in schools. This has, of course, become a reality that no one can escape, explains Claude Meisch, but there are obvious risks. The first year of secondary school is the right time to introduce AI into the curriculum. It would be worrying if pupils were already using it in primary school to do their homework, according to the minister: "Someone who always lets the machine do the thinking never learns to think for themselves. And I really see a risk of collective cognitive impoverishment here."

French literacy: integration ‘does not work’ in the current system

Starting next school year, parents of children in cycle 1.2 will be able to decide whether their child will learn to read and write in French or German. The programme will then be gradually extended to other primary school classes until 2032. Until now, the pilot project has been implemented in four schools. A total of 48 pupils have been taught literacy in French.

A study evaluated the results of the pilot classes in standardised tests in comparison with reference groups from the same socio-economic background and with the national average. It appears that pupils learn to read and write better in the language that is closest to them. However, the University of Luxembourg study also points out that the scope of the results is limited due to the small sample size and the fact that the tests were sometimes not identical for the comparison groups, but only similar in concept. On the other hand, the pupils were found to be highly motivated and the parents also welcomed the project.

However, Meisch rejects the notion that one study is insufficient evidence for national education policy: "Scientists, teachers and school administrators all recommend that this measure be implemented across the board. This serves to benefit pupils."

The programme’s development will be scientifically monitored. The Education Minister does not believe that literacy in French hinders integration: "We can clearly see today that integration is not working, because at the end of primary school, pupils’ paths diverge significantly. This usually happens very early on after literacy training leaving some to progress well and others to fall behind. Then some go on to attend a classical secondary school, mainly those who speak Luxembourgish at home, while those who do not speak it are much more likely to end up in the general secondary education stream. This is a division in our society, and we want to eliminate it."

Evidently, not all pupils should be oriented towards the classical stream, but neither should all be oriented towards the general stream.

Criticism regarding lack of classrooms

The Ministry's announcement of the French literacy programme has raised concerns among those working in the education sector who believe that there will not be enough classrooms available.

To put this into perspective, the Education Minister explains that this year alone, Luxembourg's primary schools have welcomed 1,000 more pupils than last year. As a result, there is strong pressure to expand schools. In this context, Meisch pointed to the potential benefits of the French literacy programme as the initiative could reduce the number of pupils required to repeat a year by up to 25%, which would ease classroom overcrowding and reduce the demand for additional space. The Education Ministry estimates that there will be a shortage of around 150 classrooms over the next six years across the Grand Duchy.

Listen to the interview here:

Stream the full interview in Luxembourgish on RTL.lu and at RTL Play.