Education in Luxembourg: inequalities are decreasing but not going away
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In 2024, 47.3 per cent of Luxembourg's population is made up of foreign nationals. Of these, about 12% were born in the country. The multilingual education system is adapting to growing demographic and cultural diversification, which requires renewed approaches to teaching and inclusion.
Inclusion is becoming a key priority. In 2023, a new law was adopted to strengthen support for children with special educational needs. Special commissions and 8 competence centres have been established, working to adapt curricula and ensure equal opportunities for all pupils.
Luxembourg's education system emphasises the importance of multilingualism. Early bilingual education programmes (Luxembourgish and French) are expanding. In 2023, 63% of children under 4 years of age attended educational institutions supported by multilingual programmes.
The pandemic had a major impact on pupils' performance. The study found that reading and maths skills declined in the early years of the pandemic, but recovery measures including extra lessons and teacher support began to show positive results.
The system continues to struggle with the socioeconomic gap. The report cites evidence that children from low-income families are less likely to have a college education. New programmes aim to reduce this disparity.
