Schools under pressure: Luxembourg urgently needs reform of personnel policy

For several years now, the SEW/OGBL trade union has been signalling that the existing mechanism for the formation of human resources in schools does not meet the realities of modern society. The latest report by the Observatoire national de l'enfance, de la jeunesse et de la qualité scolaire (OEJQS) sets the record straight by identifying structural weaknesses that directly affect equality of educational opportunities.

At the centre of the criticism is the so-called "Contingent", the mechanism for allocating teaching posts in schools. Since 2010, it has remained virtually unchanged, despite tectonic shifts in the composition of the student body: social inequality has increased significantly, the number of children from single-parent families has risen, and German and Luxembourgish have lost their former dominance in the home environment.

This turns the school into an arena of new challenges, which the old rules can no longer cope with. The contingent only considers the number of teachers, completely ignoring the quality of infrastructure, technical equipment and other important aspects.

The situation has become even more acute with the introduction of compulsory reading and writing in French. The successful implementation of this reform requires additional resources, which the system in its current form cannot provide.

OEJQS emphasises that adjusting teacher numbers alone is only part of the answer to the problem. The only way to make a real difference is through a comprehensive approach that combines improved teaching quality with targeted pedagogical support for vulnerable groups of students.

Nevertheless, the study shows that increasing the number of teachers has a positive impact on reducing educational inequality. In other words, the revision of staffing is not a tribute to fashion, but a necessary measure to create a more equitable learning environment.