Loading…
Understand how school works in Luxembourg: the four cycles of enseignement fondamental, the two tracks of secondary school, and how children are oriented at the end of cycle 4.
Luxembourg's public school is free of charge and multilingual: Luxembourgish, German and French are used at different stages. For a newly arrived family, understanding the structure of the system is the first step to supporting your children well.
Fundamental education covers the first nine years of schooling. It is organised into four learning cycles, each lasting two years (cycle 1 also includes an optional early-education year, the précoce, from age 3). School is compulsory from the age of 4.
| Cycle | Indicative age | Main content |
|---|---|---|
| Cycle 1 | 3-5 years | Early education (optional) and preschool, in Luxembourgish |
| Cycle 2 | 6-7 years | Literacy (traditionally in German), oral French begins |
| Cycle 3 | 8-9 years | Deepening of German, French and mathematics |
| Cycle 4 | 10-11 years | Consolidation and the orientation procedure towards secondary school |
After fondamental, pupils enter secondary education, which lasts seven years in principle and comprises two tracks: classical secondary education (ESC), geared towards university studies and leading to the diplôme de fin d'études secondaires classiques, and general secondary education (ESG), which offers more diversified paths, including vocational training (DAP, CCP, technician's diploma).
The orientation decision takes place at the end of cycle 4. Since the procedure was reformed, it is taken jointly by the parents and the teacher, based on the child's results, national standardised tests and overall development. In case of disagreement, an orientation commission decides.
Pupils arriving from abroad benefit from specific measures: welcome classes, language support courses and intercultural mediators. The Service de l'intégration et de l'accueil scolaire (SIA) of the Ministry of Education informs families and assesses the child's level in order to propose the most suitable class. Classes with an adapted language regime and public international offers also exist.
Practical tip: contact your commune for enrolment in fondamental (it is automatic in your commune of residence) and the SIA for any arrival during the school year or at secondary level.
Parents are full participants in Luxembourg's school life: elected parent representatives in each school, partnership committees and termly meetings with the class teacher. Do not hesitate to ask for an interpreter for important meetings; many schools offer one. Following the exercise books, attending meetings and encouraging reading in your family language are three simple habits that genuinely influence a child's school success.
