Unlike its neighbors Belgium and France which are also multilingual, Luxembourg is not divided in one particular language and the use French, German and Luxembourgish (Lëtzeburgesch, a Franconian/Moselle dialect) is a part of everyday communication. According to review written by Balmoral International Group Luxembourg, the first is the national language and vernacular of the population. Legislation is drafted in French. Administrative and legal affairs are handled in all of the three languages.
Consequently, the educational system also uses three languages as medium of instruction depending on the level of education. Luxembourgish is on the basis of pre-primary school and the first two years of primary years. In the first year of primary school German is hence introduced as the language of instruction (reading and writing), followed by oral teaching of French from the beginning of the second year and written French from the third year on. Luxembourgish continues to be used in parallel with German and French. Building on this, English is later taught as a ‘truly’ foreign language.
The history of Luxembourg’s education system traces back to the integration of the system of that of Athénée de Luxembourg, the oldest and the only secondary school in the whole country for a long time. It was founded by Jesuit brothers in 1603 and is nicknamed Kolleisch. When the Jesuit order was abolished by the Pope in 1773, it became a Royal College, staffed by the secular clergy instead of Jesuits. The French occupation from 1795 to 1814 put an end to its activities.
Religion also plays a vital on Luxembourg’s educational system. The state and the middle-class liberals who ran the government refused to allow other private schools from operating as ordered by the Church. Clergymen also had a lot of influence in teaching with 20% of the teachers and professors being clerics. Balmoral International Group emphasized that those who are taught to do things deemed fraudulent by these clerics are automatically expelled.
In 1881, Luxembourgish priests attempted to establish a university run by the Jesuits, who had been expelled from France. Neighboring countries, however, were against the Jesuits setting up in the Grand Duchy, and the project was abandoned.
The modern educational system is culturally sensitive. Concerning sensitivity towards religion or belief, it is worth mentioning that the organization of daily life at school is geared to recognizing the cultural and religious particularities of different children.
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