How has the pandemic affected education in Luxembourg?

Minister of Education, Children and Youth Claude Meisch responded to a parliamentary enquiry by MPs Ben Polidori and Francine Closener on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Luxembourg schools.

In primary education (écoles fondamentales), he said, there was no systemic deterioration in pupils' learning levels. Unlike in other countries where the pandemic caused significant loss of schooling, Luxembourg was able to minimise the damage thanks to a short period of school closures and effective measures. The Ministry, together with the health authorities, was able to limit the spread of the virus while ensuring the continuity of education.

To mitigate the effects of the crisis, the authorities provided additional resources. After the first lockdown, a blended learning format was quickly organised and new staff were hired to support differentiated teaching methods. In addition, students and families were provided with technology to enable effective implementation of distance learning during quarantines and lockdowns.

Nevertheless, certain groups of students were more negatively affected by the pandemic than others. In particular, standardised tests conducted by LUCET (Luxembourg Centre for Educational Testing) showed that proficiency levels remained generally stable, but there was a significant decline in German listening skills among Cycle 3 pupils. In response, the Ministry promptly introduced targeted support programmes to correct this problem.

One of these measures was the Summerschool, a programme launched in 2020 to offset the effects of the pandemic (Summerschool), a programme launched in 2020 to offset the impact of the pandemic. It provides primary and secondary school pupils with the opportunity to repeat what they have learnt, address gaps in their knowledge and strengthen key competences. Over time, the Summer School has become a permanent part of the educational support system in Luxembourg.

The minister stressed that work is ongoing to improve the educational process and the authorities continue to adapt support programmes to address the problems identified.