The educational landscape in Luxembourg has undergone significant changes in recent years. With the introduction of competence centres, public European schools, and literacy programs in French, the education system is adapting to an increasingly diverse society. In this carte blanche, Gaston Ternes shares his personal analysis of the conclusions drawn from the recent education report. carte blanche, Gaston Ternes partage son analyse personnelle des conclusions du récent rapport sur l’éducation.
Two major priorities in the 2024 education report are strengthening early education and generalizing literacy in French.
What does this mean in concrete terms? It is well known that the vocabulary of six-year-old children varies significantly, ranging from 500 to 13,000 words. Children with a limited active vocabulary have little chance of succeeding in their academic journey unless targeted interventions are implemented. Strengthening early education means giving a new mission to nurseries and maisons relais: progressively bringing children to a correct linguistic level. Would it not be appropriate to involve specialized staff to support this process from the very beginning? The goal is to optimally prepare them for literacy, whether in German or French. to nurseries and maisons relais :progressively bringing children to a correct linguistic level. Would it not be appropriate to involve specialized staff to support this process from the very beginning? The goal is to optimally prepare them for literacy, whether in German or French.
Another priority of the report is the expansion of public European schools. These schools allow students to choose their mother tongue as their main language while learning a second language at level 2, 3, or 4. It is essential to understand that in order to actively use a language in the learning process, level 2 is the minimum requirement.
European schools are attractive because they offer a complete school curriculum—primary and secondary—in just 5 + 7 years, which is one year shorter than the national system. They also admit students in their sixth school year (Cycle 4.2) who have not been accepted into the traditional academic path, but then only prepare them for the European Baccalaureate.Shouldn't this system also offer vocational educational pathways, given that student profiles are becoming increasingly diverse? Otherwise, do we risk seeing students who do not meet the requirements of classical secondary education having to seek their opportunities abroad?
This highlights a fundamental flaw in both the national and European systems. Practical skills should be integrated into the curriculum from the age of six, alongside languages and mathematics, to identify talents and develop competencies. The current system's flaw lies in the fact that craftsmanship is still seen only as a fallback option when the classical route does not work! Instead, it should be recognized as a modern, innovative, and valuable orientation for everyone.
Numerous studies indicate that combining hands-on activities with theoretical learning not only enhances students’ concentration but also makes teaching more effective.
Revising curricula in this direction is more necessary than ever! How much longer must we wait?