For its fourth edition, the National Report on Education Luxembourg focuses on diversity and inclusion. The 200-page report provides a comprehensive overview of education research in the country. A lack of data on children with special needs, challenges related to multilingualism and persistent social inequalities are the main issues facing the education system.
The Luxembourg Centre for Educational Testing (LUCET) is publishing the fourth edition of the National Report on Education Luxembourg in collaboration with the Service de Coordination de la Recherche et de l’Innovation pédagogiques et technologiques (SCRIPT). Published every three years since 2015, this report offers an overview of existing research and scientific data on Luxembourg’s education system. “This year, over 80 authors contributed to the report by sharing their work. Thanks to this extensive collaboration, we can view Luxembourg’s education system from various perspectives,” explains Sonja Ugen, director of LUCET.
Inclusion: a topic needing more research
While multilingualism and social inequalities are recurring themes in every edition, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of this year’s report. “This is a topic that was not very present in previous editions. In consultation with SCRIPT, we felt it was important to give it more prominence,” explains researcher and report coordinator Thomas Lenz. Diversity, broadly speaking, is a well-represented topic in educational research, but the findings are more concerning when it comes to inclusion. Sonja Ugen notes, “There is far too little data and research on children with special needs in Luxembourg. It’s a blind spot, and we cannot reliably determine how many there are or what are their needs.“
‟ There is far too little data and research on children with special needs in Luxembourg. It’s a blind spot, and we cannot reliably determine how many there are or what are their needs.”
Head of the Luxembourg Centre for Educational Testing
Inclusion is not the only topic suffering from a lack of visibility. While Luxembourg has a wealth of data on its public school system, transitional periods are also under-researched. “We don’t have much research on the transition from secondary education to higher education or from the end of studies to entry into professional life“, highlights Thomas Lenz. “The lack of information on these periods prevents us from observing the long-term impact of education. We don’t know what happens to students, what careers they pursue, or whether they stay in Luxembourg or not,” adds LUCET’s director.
Developing tests tailored to the country’s needs
Luxembourg’s multilingual population presents unique challenges in identifying students’ needs. “Diagnostic tests can sometimes be administered in a language the student does not master well, which can lead to overestimating or underestimating a situation. For example, one might think a student has learning difficulties in mathematics when it’s actually a due to comprehension issues with German“, explains Lenz. To address this issue, LUCET is investing in the development of tests tailored to the country. “Our team is creating tests that take into account Luxembourg’s specific characteristics. We cannot simply use tests developed by neighboring countries. That would lead to biased results”, stresses Sonja Ugen.
Positive initiatives with limited impact
Social inequalities remain a challenge for Luxembourg’s education system. “We observe positive initiatives, such as the possibility for students to take courses in their language of choice in European and international public schools“, the researchers note. The director adds: “However, these schools are not accessible to everyone, and 80% of students still have to navigate the linguistic complexity of our system.” In light of these findings, the researchers hope that current and future reforms will focus on the students most affected by educational inequalities.
The report is available and free of charge to anyone interested in education in Luxembourg. The French translation will be available in March 2025.