Claude Heiser, director of Athénée secondary school, provided insight into the ways in which pupils have been confronted with war over the past couple of weeks: “We work with children and youths of all ages, which is why it is important to first let them ask their questions and then respond to them.”
School personnel do everything in their power to give children reassurance and a perspective on what is happening. However, this can be difficult as the war directly or indirectly affects many pupils here in Luxembourg. Furthermore, the seemingly endless war footage on social media exposes young people to great amounts of violence, destruction, and pain.
Lena Kelsen, who goes to Athénée secondary school, elaborated: “We talk about the current situation in almost every class. In economics, we discuss the economic impact of the war, for example taxes and energy prices, which are currently rising. In geography, we talk more about the exact locations of the conflict, NATO, as well as EU borders.”
On Tuesday, Roberta Metsola paid a visit to Athénée to discuss the war with a group of 60 pupils. The president of the EU Parliament addressed the Union’s policies on taking in refugees from Ukraine and the potential for independence from Russian oil and gas. Metsola acknowledged that this transition should have been initiated a long time ago.
Director Heiser also talked about proposed changes to this year’s syllabus, which were made in light of the war in Ukraine: “I think we have the capacity in our schools to make up for lost time and still discuss the issue adequately.”
