Luxembourg appoints new school mediator
CDC, Unsplash
Marguerite Krier will officially take up her post as Luxembourg's school mediator on 4 September 2025. The appointment is symbolic: she has worked for over 20 years at the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth (MENEJ) and has been head of the Children's Rights Service for the last few years. In her new role, she will continue the work of Lis De Pina, the first mediator who founded and retired from the School Mediation Service (SMS).
Established by the law of 18 June 2018, the School Mediation Service is an independent structure, subordinated to the MENEJ, whose purpose is to help parents, pupils and teachers in case of conflicts with educational institutions.
It is only possible to contact a mediator after an unsuccessful attempt to resolve a conflict directly with an educational institution or agency.
SMS operates in three main areas:
- Preventing leaving school without a diploma (combating early dropout);
- Inclusion - protecting the rights of pupils with disabilities;
- Integration - support for children who have recently arrived in Luxembourg and do not speak the languages of the country.
The mediator and his team do not act as judges, but as a neutral party creating a space for dialogue. They help to understand the situation, explain the norms, restore communication between the parties and find a fair, respectful and confidential solution.
In addition to individual work with families and schools, the mediator can use the processed cases to formulate recommendations to the Minister of Education that may affect legislative changes or departmental guidelines.
In addition, the school mediator is required to report annually to the government and the Chamber of Deputies, thus ensuring transparency and accountability of his/her activities.
