Two years ago, the Lënster Lycée International School announced plans to launch an aerospace course with much fanfare. The poster, which can still be found online, urges pupils to “Join the LLIS for the 2022/2023 school year!”, adding that preparations for the new section would be started as early as 4e - for students aged 15-16 - before the course would properly launch for older students in 2e in 2024.
However, pupils hoping to join the aerospace course must exercise patience, as the course start was recently postponed. “This section will not start in 2024/2025 as the programme is still in development,” confirmed the Ministry of Education in response to RTL’s inquiries.
As the current school year approaches its end, pupils about to begin their final years of secondary school must choose a section for their studies. However, the courses offered depend on the amount of registrations, says the Ministry.
This is not the only question surrounding the proposed course - the Ministry adds that it has not yet been fully decided where and when the course will take place. “The question of whether an aerospace section will be offered at the LLIS or another school will be analysed and decided during the next school year.”
Pupils therefore would be well advised to consider a plan B for their studies. One student repeated 4e with the firm hope of being able to start the aerospace course next year, but their hopes have now been dashed.
Lënster Lycée is currently also in a reorientation phase, as a number of classes have been cancelled. The Ministry explained the changes as follows: “The lower classes for classical secondary education (ESC), and the orientation classes for general, formerly technical, secondary education (ESG) have been allowed to expire at this school.”
It is not the case, however, that all classes for general secondary education will disappear at the LLIS. The preparation classes (7P, 6P, 5P), professional initiation classes (CIP) and the professional or orientation classes will continue to be offered.
“It is still too early to say how the LLIS sections will evolve, as it depends on registrations,” said the Ministry.
However, pupils with a passion for space do not have to give up their hopes entirely, even though the course is still uncertain. There are extracurricular classes on aerospace which are available to secondary pupils outside of the usual school hours.
“For secondary school students who are interested in the subject of space travel, at a number of secondary schools, including the LLIS, there is the option to follow DIMAS training (the initiation diploma for aeronautical and space professions). This is offered by the Luxembourg Flight Training Academy in partnership with the Department for the Coordination of Educational and Technological Research and Innovation (SCRIPT) and aims to introduce pupils to the aeronautics/aerospace industry, imparting knowledge and preparing them for higher studies in these areas.”
Although it remains unclear whether the LLIS or other secondary schools will offer courses on aerospace, students have the opportunity to specialise in the domain thanks to courses offered by the University of Luxembourg.
Students can currently enrol in the “Master in Space Technologies and Business” from the Faculty of Sciences, Technology and Medicine, or the “Master in Space, Communication and Media Law” offered by the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance. The university also has a partnership with the SES, as well as research on regulation in space.
The university also covers activities such as SpaceRobotics and the LunarLab at Kirchberg and the “Space System Engineering” team works on miniature systems such as 10 x 10 cm cube satellites or microchips that can be used for space services such as geoengineering. There are also research options on satellite communications in IT, or in law, and the autonomous robotics department can also be used for space initiatives, among other things, meaning there is no shortage of aerospace options at the Belval campus.
As for the Lënster Lycée’s future, Minister of Education Claude Meisch wrote in response to a parliamentary question submitted by MP Max Hengel at the end of April that: “Pupils currently in 7G or 6G at the LLIS will naturally continue their lower secondary education at that school”, despite the fact the LLIS will no longer offer these classes for the 2024 intake.
The decision was made following a sharp increase in the number of pupils enrolling for the school’s international classes, Meisch explained. “The demand for ESG classes in Junglinster is not great, most likely due to the close proximity to the capital where students have a wider choice of classes in lots of different schools.”
The LLIS will continue to remain open to pupils who have completed primary school.
“With the international sections and the preparation classes, the LLIS continues to offer secondary schooling for all students, regardless of whether they are oriented towards classical, general or preparation streams at the end of primary school. The European, or international, classes are accessible to students oriented to both ESC and ESG.”
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