The objective of schools is to provide the best possible qualification for all students. Every child has the right to be guided in accordance with his/her talents and possible weaknesses towards life as a citizen, higher studies or a professional career.
Should there be doubts about the school being able to fulfil its mission, if the school career of a child is threatened, the school mediator and his Service au maintien, à l’inclusion et à l’intégration scolaires can be asked for assistance.
The school mediator will deal with claims regarding:
- prevention of school dropout when there is a risk a student could drop out without a qualification ;
- inclusion of students with specific educational needs in elementary school or in high school ;
- integration of students with immigration background who attended school abroad before moving to Luxembourg and lack the necessary skills in German, Luxembourgish or French to follow « regular » classes.
Why a mediator and what is his role?
Since the academic year 2018/2019 the mediator can intervene in situations, where the school:
- does not provide adequate training for the child;
- did not function in accordance with its mission or
- the departments of the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth did not correctly apply the laws, regulations or instructions.
The mediator deals with individual and specific claims.
Who can request the intervention of the mediator?
Parents of under age students, the students if they are over 18, or the actors of national education (teachers, directors, educators, etc.) can ask the mediator to intervene by submitting a written claim
Claims submitted to the mediator are strictly confidential.
When is it possible to request the intervention of the mediator?
The mediator can only intervene if the involved parties of the school community have already tried to find a solution (e.g. : in elementary school, the class teacher, the regional director; in high school, the class teacher, the director; in a competence centre for specialised psycho-pedagogy, the employee in charge, the director, etc.) and if such solution was not successful.
What is the task of the mediator?
The mediator will take the necessary steps with the involved departments or schools and will submit recommendations to solve the issue in an amicable and fair way.
The mediator submits recommendations to the minister on a regular basis to improve, more specifically, the operation of the departments and schools in which he/she was asked to intervene.
The mediator also issues an annual report submitted to the Parliament (Chambre des députés) as well as to the government and published on the website of the Ministry for Education, Children and Youth.