More than a thousand Ukrainian students accepted in Luxembourg schools, few vacant spots left
At the end of the last academic year, 1,167 Ukrainian schoolchildren were studying in Luxembourg. They were primarily learning foreign languages.
Most of them, 846 students in total, study in English. As is known, this is not the most popular language in Luxembourg. But there is not much choice for them. In Ukrainian schools children mainly learn English as their second language.
The rest of the students are first-graders who have not yet learned any foreign language. From September they will go to schools in their place of residence. From first to fourth grade they will have additional language courses. In the first grade, children will be introduced to the Luxembourgish language. From the second to the fourth grade they will learn how to speak French and German.
It is not the first time that Luxembourg education workers to accept foreign children. There were already children refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen in the schools of the Grand Duchy. The problem that’s brewing right now is rather technical: there is simply nowhere to assign new students. There are only seven schools that teach in English. Six of them have already been filled. Even when you take into account the increase in classes, the number of lessons and the number of teachers. The seventh school will be able to accept another 20-25 students.
How to admit more Ukrainian children to Luxembourg schools
Of course, the Ministry of Education could focus on creating new English-language schools. There were such plans even before the Ukrainian war crisis. But this strategy has a limit: again, English is not particularly popular in Luxembourg. For children who only speak English, studying in a university or getting a job will be much more difficult.
The only option to accept more Ukrainian children into existing English-speaking schools is to transfer existing ones to regular schools as soon as possible. This will free up space for new students. Therefore, the educational program of Ukrainian schoolchildren is focused on learning languages. The faster children learn local languages, the faster they can study other subjects in full.
The prospects for learning are ambiguous. On one hand, Ukrainian children are strong in the exact sciences and in creative courses. On the other hand, it is not easy to get an education entirely in English, if it was only a foreign language to you your entire life.
However, the main thing that gives educators hope for success in this endeavour is that the children are sufficiently motivated. They like the Luxembourgish approach to education. Teachers support students and do not scold them for mistakes. As you cannot learn without mistakes.
Read more: Luxembourg schools: how does the school education system work
