Complete national overview - Luxembourg

Special Needs Education Within the Education System

Mainstream Schools 

The law of June 28th, 1994 about school inclusion allows the participation of children with special needs in preschool, primary and post primary schools.

This law adds two new possibilities in schooling:

Total inclusion of a child with special needs education in mainstream schools.

Partial inclusion in a centre of special needs education and supplementary, for some activities, in a class of the ordinary school.

The law of June 28th, 1994 stipulates that pupils with special needs education included in ordinary schools can benefit from support services. (SREA)

Early Years Education 

The early childhood’s education begins at the age of three years and favours the development of language such as emotional, motor intellectual and social development.

There will be two qualified persons for each class, one teacher for preschool education and one educational professional.

This teamwork allows working in groups, differentiation of learning and facilitates as well the inclusion of children with special needs.

Compulsory Schooling 

Basic education 

The first 10 years of education form a coherent and continuous whole during which the bases of any later training are drawn. 

• Pre-school and primary education are from now on grouped together under the name of « basic school ». (art. 1) 
• The mission of basic school is not limited to teaching the children. The law specifically underlines that the school has to contribute to the education of the children and to prepare them to social life, as well as to work. (art. 6) 
• In order to stress the importance of the first years of educations, the law precises the missions of pre-school education. (art. 7) 
• Basic education is organized in learning cycles. The first cycle consists of early training (optional) and pre-school education. The 3 following cycles correspond to the primary education and each last 2 years (art. 1). 
• The normal duration of one cycle is two years. In exceptional cases, a cycle can be lenghtened by one year (art. 22 and 23). This decision however has to remain an exceptional one and has to be taken by the teachers in close consultation with the parents. 
• If a child cannot reach the base of competence in two years, the educational team sets up an appropriate program for three years. 
• For the children with serious learning difficulties, who risk to not reaching the bases of competences at the end of the cycle, the school inclusion commission sets up a personalized take-over plan. This program fixes personal realistic as well as demanding objectives. (art. 29)  
• The law allows the possibility to take differentiation measures reaching from temporary groupings of children of the same or different classes to the permission given to a pupil to follow the teachings in another stage (art. 22). 

Looking after children with learning difficulties 

• The support measures to children with learning difficulties reach from adapting the teachings and the support by the teachers of the class to carrying on the education in a special education class which is an integral part of basic education (art 29). 
• In order to guarantee a coherent taking in charge of the children with special education needs, one or more multiprofessional team(s) is/are created in every inspection district. Consisting of specialists (logopedic teachers, educationalists, motricians, psychologists, special teachers, etc.), it ensures the diagnosis and the taking into charge of these pupils (art. 29 and 30). 
• In order to determine the support which the child needs, one or more school inclusion commission(s) is/are created in every district. This commission, which replaces the « commission médico-psycho-pédagogique (CMPP) », elaborates on the basis of a diagnosis an individualized taking into charge plan (art.29). For every concerned family a reference person is appointed, who establishes the links with the school inclusion commission (art. 31). 

(see also new education laws of 6th February 2009) 

Post-Primary Education:

After the six primary school years or at the age of 12 (normally), the pupil goes to post-primary education. Compulsory schooling ends at the age of 16. 

The pupil can choose between two types of education :

A. Technical secondary education 

B. General secondary education 

A. Technical secondary education

Technical secondary education prepares to working life. It also allows to accede higher education. The duration of these studies can vary between 6 and 8 years depending on the education system or the degree of specialization. Some high schools offer given specializations like « Lycée technique agricole » or « Lycée technique hôtelier Alexis Heck ».

Technical secondary education comprises three stages: the lower classes, the intermediate classes and the higher classes, as well as the preparatory stream. 

A.1. The lower technical secondary classes 

The lower stage includes the three first years of lower technical secondary classes: 7th, 8th and 9th grade. This stage allows the pupil to deepen his general education and to progressively reach the education or occupation corresponding to his abilities and preferences. 

In 7th grade, the teaching plan includes languages (French, German), mathematics, human sciences, natural sciences, technological education and the expression sections, as well as religious and moral instruction or moral and social instruction. A 7th grade “adaption” class is offered to pupils having difficulties to follow the fixed program. Education is here limited to essential subjects and the number of teachers is limited in order to assure a better taking into charge of the pupil. 

According to the results obtained in 7th grade, the pupils are being oriented to a « theoretical » or « multi-purpose » 8th grade class. These educational ways can be distinguished by their general orientation, the importance of the subjects taught and by the teaching methods. 

The success of the 9th grade allows to acceed to a technical or vocational education. 

The decision of admission in 10th grade is taken by the class council according to the level of success of the pupil in « theoretical », « multi-purpose » or « practical » 9th grade. The level and the kind of studies or apprenticeship which are accessible to him depends on his performances and on the level he has reached. 

Pilot project PROCI

The main objective of the pilot project « lower stage » (PROCI) is to allow a better orientation of the pupil in 9th grade by directing him to a training which corresponds to his abilities and aspirations. The main education sections which the project deals with are : 

• The programs : the programs elaborated in the framework of the project fix the basic knowledge as well as the more deepened knowledge and the particular aptitudes for each section. 
• The evaluation : a more shaded evaluation displays the know-how of the teenager, and detects, if necessary, his weaknesses. Different abilities are evaluated seperately in languages and mathematics. 
• The supervision of the pupils : the PROCI pupils normally stay in the same class throughout the lower stage. A reduced teaching team supports the class from 7th grade to 9th grade. 
• The orientation procedure, which is done according to the strong points of the pupil. 

The Preparatory Stream:

The preparatory stream gives the pupil the opportunity to be admitted:

- either to the classes of the inferior stage or to the vocational section of the intermediate stage;

- either to enter a vocational training.

The form of teaching is based on a modular scheme in groups of different levels.

For many pupils this stream offers an opportunity to enter a vocational training.

Classes of Fundamental Teaching:

Within the preparatory stream, classes of fundamental teaching were founded in order to support the educational needs of children with learning difficulties. Children with special needs education are mostly included in these classes or in other classes of the preparatory stream.

B. General secondary education 

Secondary education is lavished in “lycées” (high schools). In certain cases, the lower classes are also offered in technical “lycées”.

Secondary education comprises 7 years divided into two levels : 

• The lower level of 3 years, including the 7th, 6th and 5th grade ;  
• The higher level of 4 years, including a multi-purpose class (4th grade) and a specialization cycle (3rd grade, 2nd grade and 1st grade).

The lower level 

The 7th grade allows the pupil to adapt to the secondary education. The teaching language is German, except for mathematics, which are taught in French. The language education includes French, German and Luxembourgish. 

In certain “lycées”, reinforced German classes are proposed to pupils having a sufficient level in French and mathematics, but who have difficulties with German. Two additional German lessons are offered in order to reinforce the normal course. 

When the pupil enters the 6th grade, he/she either opts for classic education (with Latin as third language) or for modern education (with English as third language). For the other subjects, the program is the same in the two divisions. The pupil who chooses Latin as third language starts English education in the 5th grade. 

The higher level 

The multi-purpose class (4th grade) aims to reinforce the knowledge and to orientate the pupil to one of the seven sections of the specialization cycle. Except for the Latin class, the program is the same for all pupils. Initiation classes (chemistry, physics, economics) help the pupils to choose one of the 7 specialization sections at the end of 4th grade. 

At the end of 4th grade, the class council, in collaboration with the “Service de Psychologie et d’Orientation Scolaires (SPOS)”, advises the pupils in the choice of their specialization. This written advice, elaborated for each pupil on the basis of all the elements at the disposition of the class council and the SPOS, is a recommendation and has no binding force. 

The specialization of the education takes place in 3rd grade, when the pupil chooses, according to his abitities and his interests, one of the seven sections, namely: 

• section A : modern languages  
• section B : mathematics and computer science
• section C : natural sciences and mathematics 
• section D : economics and mathematics 
• section E : plastic arts
• section F : music sciences 
• section G : human and social sciences 

The pupil having successfully finished the 3rd grade receives an intermediate certificate mentioning the success of five years of secondary education. The secondary school-leaving certificate is given after completion of the specialization cycle and after having passed the final secondary education exam. 

Transition Period 

Pupils who attended the preparatory stream of the technical secondary school mostly continue their studies in a vocational section, which offers the possibility of professional accreditation.

Vocational training reform 

The law reforming vocational training has been voted on 14 November 2008.  

It is about structuring the different types of training in a coherent way in order to find a response to the existing challenges, namely: 

• to improve the quality of vocational training with the intention to offering a better qualification to our youth, which allows them to better integrate the economic and social life ; 
• to access vocational training throughout life ; 
• to reduce the failure rate and the number of young people leaving school without certification. 

The four types of vocational training 

The reform of vocational training distinguishes four types of vocational training, namely : 

1. basic vocational training destined to pupils having educational difficulties and leading to the « Certificat de capacité professionnelle » (CCP) ; 
2. initial vocational training, lavishing a general, theoretical and practical training. It leads, in two seperate streams, to two different diplomas : the « Diplôme d’aptitude professionnelle » (DAP) and the « Diplôme de technicien » ; 
3. continuing vocational training, which allows adults to achieve, maintain or adapt knowledge and vocational abilities ; 
4. vocational retraining, which aims at leading to a paid employment, and offering vocational retraining and general education courses destined to jobseekers and workers threatened to loose their job. 

COIP classes

The « cours d’orientation et d’initiation professionnelles (COIP) » are destined to young people under 18.  

The taking into charge is characterized by : 

• implementing active educational methods : learn through practical situations ; interdisciplinary projects taking into account the place of the young person in civil society and in a company ; 
• social and educational framing carried out by specialist teachers ; 
• implementing a validation methodolgy of the young people’s abilities in order to facilitate the access to training leading to qualifications or to the labour market ; 
• developing abilities bases for the COIP classes : oral and written communication, calculation, social and civic education and field training in the companies ; 
• organizing and evaluating the training periods ; the practical abilities to be developed there and to be evaluated are defined by the abilities base ;  
• direct implication of education agents of the « Action locale pour jeunes » ; a individual project is developed and afterwards evaluated for each pupil. 

Project to create an « Ecole de la deuxième chance » 

The new school will open in September 2010 and will be integrated to the public school system. It is destined to pupils from 16 to 24 who, for school failure or wrong orientation choice reasons, have dropped out from school or who do not find an apprenticeship. It will be established at the centre of the country and will receive up to 350 young people. 

« Ecole de la 2e chance » has a double objective. It aims to

• bring the young people who dropped out to regain motivation in order to take up their education, 
• develop the general, practical and social abilities which allow them to re(integrate) the traditional classes of secondary and technical secondary education, apprenticeship or the labour market. 

 ALJ – Local assistance for young people

The “Local assistance for young people” is a part of the department of vocational training of the Ministry of Education.

Its tasks are:

- to organise special measures in order to facilitate transition from school to work

- to find those youngsters who might deserve help of the “Local assistance”

- to organise social and pedagogical help for young people in difficulties, when they 

are already working or when they follow vocational training.

Web site: www.alj.lu

CNFPC – National Centre of continuing education

The CNFPC offers classes of vocational training in many different fields. 

One of the main missions is to offer a continuing education in vocational training for unemployed people. During this training, youngsters and adults do apprenticeships in different firms. 

Web site: www.cnfpc.lu

Special Education Services 

Compulsory Schooling 

The law of March 14th, 1973, creating services and institutions of Special Education, foresees that the Government ensures that every child because of his or her intellectual, sensory and emotional particular needs receives within the structures of Special Education the instruction required to meet his/her needs or situation. The Minister of National Education is responsible for the educational aspect; the Minister of Public Health for the medical aspect and the Minister of Family for social aspect of Special Education.

According to educational needs, the following support structures have been created:

a.) an ambulatory resource centre

b.) special regional schools and specific institution

c.) multidisciplinary medico-psycho-pedagogical services

The Minister of National Education assumes the responsibility for these structures.

Direction of Special Education 

Director: Marianne Vouel

Address:  

16, boulevard Royal

L-2449 Luxembourg

Phone : + 352 247-85178/-85181

Fax : + 352 460105

Web: www.ediff.lu

For every child receiving support within the structures of Special Education, the ministerial order of May 2nd 1991 foresees the establishment of an individual educational plan including the following psycho-pedagogical aspects:

1. personal independence;

2. communication;

3. basic school learning;

4. cultural apprenticeship;

5. psychomotor education;

6. social health and hygiene;

7. affective and social development;

8. personal responsibility;

9. initiation to professional life;

10. spare time activities.

The individual education plan aims to:

- advise the educational and pedagogical work in general;

- inform the parents about the principle educational options;

- permit an approximate evaluation of the child’s progression.

The Specialised Institutions: 

Institut pouf Infirmes Moteurs Cerebraux (IMC):

This institution receives children with all sorts of loss, diminution or perturbation of one or more motor functions as a result of encephalic injury. The institution includes a school and a home section together with a section of re-education, a section of home intervention and a medical service.

Address: 

Val St. André

L-1128 Luxembourg

Phone : ++352/ 446565-1

E-mail : imc@ediff.lu

Institut pour Deficients Visuels (IDV):

This institution was created in 1975. Within the framework of Special Education, the IDV has been transformed progressively into:

- a centre of production and management of didactic and technological materials adapted to the needs of low vision persons

- a training centre for locomotion and daily independence

- a centre of education, training and assistance, offering structures necessary for family, school, profession and society integration for blind persons in Luxembourg

Address: 

17A, route de Longwy

L-8080 Bertrange

Phone: ++352/ 454306-1

E-mail: idv@ediff.lu

Web site: www.idv.lu 

Institut pour Enfants Autistiques et Psychotiques:

This institution provides education, training, speech and psychomotor re-education for children and adolescents suffering from autism and psychosis.

Address: 

15, rue de Cessange

L-3347 Leudelange

Phone : ++352/ 378524

E-mail : ieap@ediff.lu

Centre de Logopédie:

This institution is a school for children who are deaf or hard of hearing, or children with speech difficulties.

The institution includes:

a.) a main establishment with pre-primary, primary and post-primary classes or groups, professional training classes or courses, a boarding school;

b.) pre-primary, primary and post-primary classes or groups in different regions of the country;

c.) regional courses are organised ambulatory.

This institution admits children in different sections i.e. those who:

- are deaf;

- are hard of hearing;

- have speech difficulties.

Address:

Val St André

L-1128 Luxembourg

Phone: ++352/ 445565-1

E-mail: admin@logopedie.lu

Web site: www.restena.lu/logo/

Centre d'Integration Scolaire:

This centre receives children of school age, presenting behavioural problems, for example aggressiveness, self-withdrawal, refusal to learn, difficulties in adapting to a group. The educational action is individualised and usually actively involves the parents.

Address: 70, rue Verte

L-2667 Luxembourg

Phone : ++352/ 480896

E-mail: cis@ediff.lu 

Web site: www.ediff.lu

Centre d'Observation de Olm:

This centre focuses upon observation and provision for children from 4 to 15 years with behavioural troubles. The aim of the centre is the reintegration of the child back into the same structure they had to leave because of their problems.

Address: 

5, rue Eisenhower

L-8321 Olm

Phone: ++352/ 305495

E-mail: co.olm@ediff.lu 

Web site: www.ediff.lu

Les Centres d'Education Differénciée Regionaux: 

These centres receive children of compulsory age and with various difficulties – essentially children affected by intellectual handicaps. There are 12 regional centres in Luxembourg. The addresses can be found at the web site: www.ediff.lu

Transition Period 

Preliminary vocational centres 

The centres of special education in Clervaux, Walferdange and Warken have structures for professional training.

These centres promote the professional training of young disabled people after compulsory schooling. These centres can include:

a.) sections of initiation, orientation and professional training, offering a theoretical and practical training in different specialities such as wood-work, metal-work, boarding, painting, cooking, house-keeping, gardening; 

b.) a service that assures integration (if possible) and guidance for the young persons leaving the centre; 

c.) a service of re-education.

The preliminary vocational centre called “Liewenshaff” is destined to young people who are socially maladjusted.

Structures de Travail (Working Structures)

Centre de Réadaptation de Capellen (Fondation Ligue HMC): 

This centre created in 1969, aims to help intellectually and cerebrally disabled children, adolescents and adults. It is one of the oldest in Luxembourg. Students coming from regional centers of special education are prepared here for professional life.

This centre includes:

- a service for observation;

- groups for professional development and training;

- protected workshops;

- therapeutic and occupational groups;

- a fruit-cooperation.

Address: 

82, route d’Arlon

L-8311 Capellen

Phone: ++352/ 309232-1

E-mail: direction-secretariat@ligue-hmc.lu

Web site: www.ligue-hmc.lu

Centre de Réadaptation Professionnelle pour Handicapés Physiques - Centre Emile Mayrisch Fondation IMC Kraizbierg:

The centre receives young physically disabled people as regular students to give them a professional training in the fields of:

- accountancy and administration;

- special techniques of printing;

- horticulture.

Address: 

Route de Zoufftgen

L-3598 Dudelange

Phone: ++352/ 524352-1

E-mail: direction@kraizbierg.lu

Web site: www.kraizbierg.lu

Centre A.P.E.M.H. Domaine du Chateau 

The association of parents of intellectually disabled children (APEMH) offers within its institutions the possibility for training, working and living.

Address: 

10, rue du Château

L-4976 Bettange-sur-Mess

Phone: ++352/ 379191-1

E-mail: formation.travail@apemh.lu

Web site: www.apemh.lu

CENTRE JEAN HEINISCH – Tricentenaire

Centre with a capacity of 80 places. 

The centre offers the following services: 

- daily activities: therapeutic support and advice with 

ο an “atelier thérapeutique” unit 

ο an “atelier-kiné” unit 

- sheltered workshop : vocational activities with an “atelier de travail adapté” unit

Address:

1,rue de la Gare

L-7228 Walferdange

Phone: +352 332233-1

E-mail: direction@tricentenaire.lu

Web site: www.tricentenaire.lu

Klengusbierg

L-7795 Bissen

CENTRE  „ROGER THELEN“

Work and therapy service which allows to offer a workplace to 40 autistic people. 

Address:

1,rue Jos Seyler

L-8521 Beckerich

Phone: +352 266233-1

E-mail: direction@autisme.lu

Web site: www.autisme.lu

FONDATION LETZEBUERGER BLANNEVEREENEGUNG BIESCHBECHER ATELIER

Work and vocational training structure for blind and partially sighted people. 

Address:

47, rue de Luxembourg

L-7540 Beschbach

Phone: +352 329031-560

E-mail: bieschbecher.atelier@pt.lu

Web site: www.blannenheem.lu

INSTITUT SAINT JOSEPH BETZDORF

Sheltered, therapeutic and occupational workshops.

Address: 2, rue de Wecker

L-6832 Betzdorf

Phone: 719319-1

E-mail: isjb@csse.lu

Web site: www.csse.lu

www.seefenatelier.lu

ATP asbl – Association d’aide par le travail thérapeutique pour personnes 

Psychotiques

ATP asbl offers to people suffering from a psychiatric illness and as a priority from a psychosis : 

• therapeutic treatment 
• labour contracts 
• support to work in the ordinary job environement (jobcoaching) 

ATP activities are divided into 4 sites:

• Haff Ditgesbach in Ettelbruck
• Walfer Atelier in Walferdange
• Schierener Atelier in Schieren
• Eilenger Konschtwierk in Ehlange

and occupy around 185 people. 

Address: 

Zi Kromm Längten

91, rue de l’Eglise

L-7224 Walferdange

Phone: +352 2633168431

E-mail: atp@atp.lu

Web site: www.atp.lu

Co-operation with other Services 

Service de Guidance de l'Enfance (Guidance Service for Children):

On June 19th 1990 a guidance service for children in the frame of Special Education was created. This service offers its help to children who, because of educational, psychological, psychosomatic, mental or neurological troubles have development and self-fulfilment problems. The service offers consultations and takes responsibility for the child and its environment.

Address: 

17A, route de Longwy

L-8080 Bertrange

Phone: ++352/ 264444-2

E-mail: sge@ediff.lu

Web site: www.ediff.lu

Service Ré-éducatif Ambulatoire: 

According to the law of June 1994 on school integration for children with special needs this service was created by Grand-ducal order on January 9th 1998.

This service is responsible for: 

-Children integrated into mainstream schools of pre-primary, primary and post-primary education with special education needs (learning disabilities, mental particularities, behavioural particularities, sensory particularities, motor particularities); 

-Parents who ask for advice and support;

-Teachers who ask for special help such as support teaching and special didactic materials.

The working methods are multiple and can be organised as assistance in the classroom or as an individual intervention outside the classroom:

- psycho pedagogical re-education for children with learning difficulties;

- responsibility for ill children to avoid learning difficulties because of a long stay in 

   hospital;

- other specific interventions are assured by the different professionals.

For every child, an individual educational plan is established in collaboration with:

- the teacher of the class;

- the person responsible for the child;

- other concerned persons

The Team

The interventions of the SREA are organised in collaboration with the professionals of the team under the co-ordination of the person responsible for that sector of education.

The team of each sector includes:

- person responsible for the sector;

- educationalists;

- specialised teacher;

- physiotherapist;

- remedial teacher;

- speech therapist;

- pedagogues;

- teacher of logopaedics (hearing impairment);

- motor therapist.

Address: 

17A, route de Longwy

L-8080 Bertrange

Phone: ++352/ 264444-1

E-mail: srea@ediff.lu

Web site: www.srea.lu

Teacher Training - Basic and Specialist Training

Basic Training 

Since the academic year 2005/2006, teacher training is offered by the University of Luxembourg, Faculty of Arts, Social and Educational Sciences. The studies aspire to train teachers for early year’s education, primary and pre-primary schools, and the preparatory stream of technical secondary school and for special needs education. The certification is a “professional bachelor in educational sciences”.

Admission conditions:

- The candidates must have a Luxembourg’s or an international “baccalaureate” (school   leaving examinations leading to university entrance qualification), or an equivalent certificate.

- The access to the studies is regulated by a competitive examination.

Aims of the training:

The aim of teacher training is reconsidered according to the following aspects:

- “learning to learn” instead of “teaching to teach”

- “a learning community” instead of “an isolated agent”

- “a responsible actor”  instead of  “a passive agent”

- “developing” instead of “reproducing”

Fields of training:

The training is based on 4 fields:

1. Multi-disciplinary learning:

Pedagogical, psychological, sociological and didactical dimensions.

2. Field of research:

Development of a research approach concerning practical experience. 

acquiring methods and tools

3. Field of practice:

The new training aims to combine university studies and practices.

Thanks to practical periods, the student can develop professional competences.

4. Field of social and professional development:

Building up a professional identity by working on attitudes and behavior.

Professional competences:

- Developing a professional approach;

- Assuming a role of social actor;

- Developing an ethic approach on teaching;

- Considering the diversity of the pupils;

- Promoting multi-linguistic identities;

- Planning and managing a class group;