In the run-up to the elections, the secondary teachers’ union affiliated with the General Confederation of the Civil Service (CGFP) has formulated a comprehensive set of guidelines.
Raoul Scholtes, the union’s president, sat down for an interview with our colleagues from RTL Radio on Wednesday morning, highlighting noteworthy trends.
On one hand, the proliferation of distinct educational sections has been observed, alongside an increasing prevalence of international schools. Scholtes underlined the consequential “geographical disparity” arising from this evolution, as not all secondary schools can provide the complete spectrum of offerings.
Scholtes conveyed a shifting educational paradigm, wherein the notion of “one school for everyone” appears to be transitioning into a model of “for everyone a school.” Instead of setting up parallel school systems, Scholtes recommended identifying successful components and implementing them nationwide. This strategy, according to Scholtes, would ensure that all students, regardless of their geographical location, can access an equitable educational experience.
Feduse is particularly concerned about the criteria for progression in the lower grades of general secondary education. While criteria used to be “overly stringent” in the past, the exact opposite phenomenon is causing problems today. As a result, Scholtes noted that a subset of fifth-grade students now faces restricted options when progressing to the fourth grade due to their poor performance (Editor’s note: Secondary students within the Luxembourgish system advance from Septième or “seventh grade” to Première or “first grade”).
Addressing workforce challenges, the secondary teachers’ union advocates for improved compensation for overtime work. The existing shortage of staff often leads to educators working substantial overtime hours, but these additional hours are compensated at a rate of only 70%, the union criticises.
