As a primary school teacher, your objective will be to equip pupils with the tools they need and stimulate their desire for independent learning.
You can teach in one of the four learning cycles in primary schools, in pre-vocational training (voie de préparation) in general secondary education, in competence centres as well as in other specialised institutions.
In order to be appointed as civil servants, primary school teachers must have a bachelor’s degree, enter a recruitment contest and complete a teaching placement to prepare them for the role.
Studying in Luxembourg
The University of Luxembourg offers two bachelor degree courses to prepare you for a career as primary school teacher in Luxembourg:
Bachelor en sciences de l’éducation (BScE)
The bachelor en sciences de l’éducation (BScE, Bachelor of Education) at the University of Luxembourg is aimed at students who wish to teach in primary education in Luxembourg. You will gain the pedagogical and teaching skills necessary to meet the challenges of a multilingual and multicultural school environment.
- Duration: 8 semesters (240 ECTS)
- Registration starts at the beginning of March and ends in May (https://bsce.uni.lu/admission)
- For more information: Bachelor en sciences de l’éducation (BScE)
Bachelor en formation pédagogique (BFP)
Since September 2023/2024 the University of Luxembourg offers the bachelor en formation pédagogique (BFP, Bachelor in Teacher Training), which will enable a greater number of students to begin their career as a teacher in primary education.
The BFP is aimed at students that already hold a bachelor’s degree in fields that are related to education with a view to obtaining an additional qualification to prepare them for teaching in primary education (cycles 2-4) in Luxembourg schools. You will gain the pedagogic and teaching skills necessary to meet the challenges of a multilingual and multicultural school environment.
- Duration: 2 semesters (240 ECTS)
- Registration: March to mid-May
- For more information: Bachelor en formation pédagogique (BFP)
Studying abroad
You can also study abroad to obtain a higher-education qualification that will prepare you for the primary school teaching profession.
More information about higher education in Luxembourg and abroad can be found on mengstudien.lu, a web portal of the Ministry for Research and Higher Education (MESR).
You will find all the additional information on studying abroad on the useful addresses page.
Specialised teachers (m/f)
The role of primary school teacher offers several paths of specialisation:
Specialised teacher for pupils with specific needs (I-EBS)
Teachers who specialise in educating pupils with special educational needs (instituteur pour élèves à besoins éducatifs spécifiques, I-EBS), are allocated directly to primary schools.
As the first point of contact for the pupils with special needs, their parents, the class teachers and the educational teams, they will assist pupils in class and work closely with the members of the support teams for pupils with special educational needs and the inclusion commissions (commissions d’inclusion).
To follow a career in this field, you must:
- have a master’s degree relevant to the support of pupils with special educational needs within primary education; OR
- an equivalent qualification that is recognised by the minister responsible for higher education.
At least two years of professional experience are required since your appointment as a primary school teacher.
Specialised teacher for school development (I-DS)
Primary school teachers who specialise in school development (instituteur spécialisé en développement scolaire, I-DS) intervene in the schools of one or more regional directorates for primary education. They assist and support the teaching teams and the school committees with the design and implementation of the steps to take in terms of the development of the school establishment. They work closely with the director(s) concerned.
The main tasks of the I-DS are to encourage schools to implement innovative educational practices that are useful for improving learning as well as supporting teachers who require personalised assistance with their pedagogical work .
Specialised teacher for digital literacy (I-CN)
Primary school teachers who specialise in digital literacy (instituteur spécialisé en compétences numériques, I-CN) help primary schools to successfully implement progressive learning based on the use of digital technologies and promoting the development of key competencies related to media and technology.
Their tasks include supporting, advising and assisting the teaching and educational staff as well as the other actors that make up the school community with regard to education on and through media, which includes the implementation of coding and helping pupils to apply computational thinking.