Early Childhood Education
The Ministry of Education has created in May 1998 a new class for children of the age of three, in order to facilitate the process of socialisation and integration (especially of migrants)
This early childhood education lasts one year and is not compulsory.

Compulsary School

Pre-School Education

The most important regulations for pre-school education are:
- the bill of August 5th 1963 organizing pre-school education
- the grand-ducal regulations of September 23rd 1964 and of October 22nd 1976 making compulsory the organisation of pre-school education and the grand-ducal regulation of September 2nd 1992.

In accordance with the Grand-Ducal Regulation of September the 2nd, 1992, pre-school education is compulsory for 4 years old children. Most pre-school institutions are under the responsibility of the communes. No more than 1% are run privately. They are mostly attached to primary schools. Pre-school education is expected to foster the physical, intellectual and social development of the children and to prepare them for entry into primary school.

Primary Education

The basic law on primary education dates back to August 10th 1912. Primary Education covers a period of six years and is controlled by the Ministry of Education (by the inspectors of primary education). Although the “philosophy” of primary education in Luxembourg is not really different from other EU Member States, teaching methods are unique because of the linguistic particularity of our country, where three languages are used.

Teaching in primary schools starts with Luxemburgish, which children speak at home, as well as German, a foreign language which becomes the teaching language for practically all subjects in the primary school. French which is also taught as a foreign language starts towards the middle of the second school year. Luxemburgish continues to be used in parallel to German and French.

Post-Primary Education

Pupils must attend some form of full-time secondary education for at least three years after completing six years of primary education covering the range 12 to 15.
There are different kinds of education streams after the basic primary education:

A.) Technical secondary education:
Technical secondary education has been initially created by the law of May 21st 1979, which has been modified by the act of September 4th 1990. Technical secondary education comprises three stages:
- inferior stage
- intermediate stage
- upper stage
The inferior stage completes compulsory education and lasts 3 years. It should allow pupils to deepen their general training and to prepare them for working life in accordance with their abilities.

B.) General secondary education:
The structure of general secondary education is the following:
- lower stage: the first three years
- upper stage: the following four years

Transition Period
“Action locale pour jeunes” (“Local assistance for young people”) is part of the vocational training of the Ministry of Education. Its tasks are:
- To organise special measures in order to facilitate transition from school to work life (even before compulsory education is finished)
- To organise social and pedagogical help for young people in difficulties (when they are already working or when they follow vocational training)

Children with Special Needs
School law of 1912

Despite the institution of school obligation for all children, the law of August 10th, 1912, concerning the organisation of primary education excluded children “suffering from physical disabilities, except those, suffering from visual or hearing impairment.” Children suffering from mental disabilities were not admissible to school.

Law of Special Education of 1973

Changes occurred by the law of March 14th, 1973 by the creation of centres and services of Special Education. “The Government makes sure, that every child, because of his mental, sensorial and emotional particularities, gets the instruction required by his state or situation in structures of Special Education.”

According to children’s needs, the following centres were created:
a.) Pre-primary and primary centres and centres of professional training
b.) Children homes, boarding schools and reception houses
c.) Observation classes and centres
d.) Ambulatory resource centres
e.) Ambulatory education services
f.) Multidisciplinary medico-psycho-pedagogical services

This law allowed children with special needs to attend a special school, but not a mainstream school.

Law of school integration

Finally the law of June 28th, 1994 changed and completed:
a.) the law of August 10th, 1912 concerning the organisation of primary education
b.) the law of March 14th, 1973 creating institutions and services of Special Education 
in favour of the participation of children with special needs in mainstream schools and of their social integration.

After advice by the “Commission Medico-Psycho-Pédagogique Nationale” and consultation of the child’s parents, the minister can exclude from school attendance a pupil because of severe reasons.

“The Government makes sure that every child of school obligation age, who cannot follow ordinary or special education because of his mental, emotional, sensorial and motor particularities and who has special needs, gets:
- appropriate instruction in a centre or institution of Special Education or
- individual help and support by a service of Special Education in the mainstream pre-primary
   or primary schools.”

Pupils, suffering from a handicap, can benefit from support services of Special Education, when frequenting primary or secondary school.

The “Commission medico-psycho-pédagogique Nationale” ensures a child is examined by experts. This same board selects one or more qualified persons in order to hear the parents’ or the responsible person’s opinion about the optimal education for the child.

These qualified persons give the board a report on the results obtained. The board makes proposals of orientation for the child in consideration of these reports. These proposals are passed onto the parents or the responsible person, who can decide among these possibilities.