Approximately one third of pupils in Luxembourg’s primary schools still speak Luxembourgish or German as their primary language at home, leading to disparities in educational opportunities.
Launched at the beginning of the previous school year, the project’s success may pave the way for implementing literacy education in French across the country in Cycle 1, starting from the school year 2026/2027.
Currently, students in Schifflange, Dudelange, Oberkorn, and Larochette are participating in the initiative.
The project’s conceptualisation, implementation, and evaluation have been entrusted to the Department for the Coordination of Educational and Technological Research and Innovation (SCRIPT), an important undertaking that could potentially revolutionise public schools in Luxembourg.
The aim is to foster more equal opportunities, empowering children to realise their full potential and involving parents in their literacy journey and overall educational development.
However, SCRIPT Director Luc Weis stressed that this project is not a “magic solution” to address all challenges in the complex Luxembourgish educational landscape.
Minister of Education Claude Meisch highlighted the value of offering parents the choice of language for their child’s literacy instruction.
Nevertheless, he stressed that children are not arbitrarily separated, as subjects such as language classes and mathematics are taught in different languages while others remain integrated to preserve the significance of Luxembourgish as a colloquial language.
While the pilot project is still relatively new, initial feedback has been encouraging, according to SCRIPT. The Ministry of Education anticipates that a definitive decision “can and must” be made during the next legislative period.
Full report by RTL Télé (in Luxembourgish):
