School offer

Over 41,000 students currently attend public and private schools teaching the national education curriculum in

  • 38 public high schools (lycées publics);
  • five private high schools (lycées privés);
  • the École nationale pour adultes;
  • two national centres for professional training (CNFPC - Centres nationaux de formation professionnelle continue);
  • the socio-educational centre (CSEE - Centre socio-éducatif de l’État);
  • the speech therapy centre (Centre de logopédie).

The schooling offer is becoming more and more diversified in order to match the diversity of the students and their needs.

Public schooling offer

38 public high schools (lycées publics) and five private high schools (lycées privés) teach the official curriculum of the ministry with regard to the subjects, the assessment, the organisation and the schedule. Details about the training provided by each school can be found on the digital platform www.mengschoul.lu and in the brochure "Que faire après le 4e cycle de l’enseignement fondamental ?".

Each high school may, within the frame of its autonomy, propose a specific pedagogical approach, specific classes or measures tailored to the needs and the expectations of the students.

Classical secondary education

Classical secondary education (enseignement secondaire classique - ESC) is a 7 –year course with the objective to convey general knowledge and skills in human sciences and literature, mathematics and natural sciences. It prepares students for higher education or university studies and leads to the General Certificate of Secondary Education.

It is structured into two structures:

  • lower classes (7e, 6e, 5e classes);
  • higher classes (4e-1ère  classes).

From the class of 6e on students can choose between English, Latin and Chinese (the latter being available only at the Athénée de Luxembourg). As of the class of 5e all students attend English lessons.

At the end of the class of 4e students choose one of the following 11 sections:

  • section A : modern languages;
  • section B : mathematics - information technology;
  • section C : natural sciences - mathematics;
  • section D : economic sciences - mathematics;
  • section E : arts;
  • section F : music;
  • section G : humanities and social sciences;
  • section I : informatics - communication;
  • section N : entrepreneurship, finance and marketing;
  • section P: cognitive science and humanities;
  • section R: politics and sustainable development.

General secondary education

General secondary education (enseignement secondaire general - ESG) is a 7 –year course leading up to the General Certificate of Secondary Education. This certificate grants the same rights as the classical secondary school leaving diploma which allows the students to either start their professional career or enroll in higher education or university studies.

General secondary education is structured in:

  • lower classes (7e, 6e, 5e) of the orientation or pre-vocational education;
  • higher classes (4e to 1ère ).

The pre-vocational education (VP - voie de préparation) is structured along modular lines allowing each student to progress at his/her own pace.

Based on the promotion decision at the end of the class of 5e of the pre-vocational education (5P class) students may be able to access:

  • basic or initial vocational training;
  • a 5AD class (classe d’adaptation)
  • a CIP class (classe d’initiation professionnelle CIP)

Based on the promotion decision at the end of the 5G class or the 5AD class, students can continue with the initial vocational training in one of the following streams:

  • administration and commercial stream;
  • health and social professions stream;
  • general technical stream;
  • arts stream;
  • hotel management and tourism stream.

Each stream may include several subject areas.

In each stream students will take a school leaving exam at the end of the 1re to obtain the general secondary school leaving diploma.

Four high schools provide training in very specific areas :

  • École d'hôtellerie et de tourisme du Luxembourg (hotel management and tourism);
  • Lycée technique agricole (agriculture);
  • Lycée technique pour professions éducatives et sociales (social professions);
  • Lycée technique pour professions de santé (health professions).

European education

Several international state schools follow the curricula, the assessments criteria and the schedule of the European school system. They are available to all students and free of charge.  They follow the European secondary education curricula (7 years) in a French speaking, English speaking and German speaking stream leading to the European baccalaureate. These schools are:

Other streams in the mother tongues of the member countries of the European Union are available in the European schools that are not included in the public education system.

International English curriculum (Cambridge)

The International School Michel Lucius (LML) offers English speaking classes leading to the British diplomas:

International education

International secondary education covers 7 years with the last two years corresponding to 1st and 2nd year of the curriculum of the international baccalaureate.

Access to the international baccalaureate is available:

This is a classical baccalaureate available in 143 countries throughout the world and recognized by Luxembourgish law as equivalent to the General Certificate of Secondary Education (cf. Schooling of foreign pupils).

German-Luxembourgish education

The Schengen German-Luxembourgish secondary school (Schengen Lyzeum) proposes bi-national and cross-border training combining the elements of the German and the Luxembourgish educational systems. This German-Luxembourgish education leads to a diploma of the German system, (“allgemeine Hochschulreife”) and to a  secondary school leaving diploma (“Abitur”).

More information

Special language options

“ALLET” classes (German as a foreign language):

These classes are available to students of the lower classes (7e to 5e) with a very good level in French and mathematics but some weaknesses in German. Lessons focus on the acquisition of skills in the German language. 

“Français Plus” classes :

These classes are available to students with a good general skill level but with some weaknesses in French. In 7e, 6e and 5e classes, students attend additional French lessons in support of the normal lessons.

LVF classes (French as main teaching language):

In these classes, all subjects are taught in French. German is taught at the same level as in the regular classes. These classes were designed for students from the national elementary education who prefer to continue their studies in French.

Classes for newly arrived students (classes d’accueil et classes d’insertion):

These classes are available to students aged 12 to 15 who have recently arrived in the country and have no or insufficient skills in the languages of the national education system. They attend intensive training in French or German and initiation courses in the Luxembourgish language (see Schooling of foreign pupils).  

Classes taught in a specific language (classes à régime linguistique spécifique):

These higher classes of general secondary education are available to students having good knowledge in French but insufficient mastery of German language. 

For further information, go to Schooling of foreign pupils.

Other specific educational offers

CLIJA - Integration classes for young adults:

These classes are available to young people aged 16 or more, who have recently arrived in the country.

TSL - Classes for students with specific language development needs:

These classes of 7e, 6e, 5e of the Lycée technique du Centre are specially designed for dysphasic students.

COIP - Professional orientation and initiation courses (Cours d’orientation et d’initiation professionnelle):

These classes are organized by the Centres nationaux de formation professionnelle continue (CNFPC in Esch-sur-Alzette and Ettelbruck) and available to students over 18 not meeting the conditions to access vocational training or lacking the necessary skills to enter the job market and/or who dropped out of school prematurely.

Alternative structures

These structures of classical secondary education and general secondary education have a specific status with the objective of pedagogic innovation while providing the same curricula and leading to the same diplomas as traditional high schools.

  • Lycée Ermesinde, full-time school ;
  • Schengen-Lycée or "Deutsch-Luxemburgisches Schengen-Lyzeum", bi-national cross-border school located in Perl, Germany ;
  • Sportlycée, for students practicing a sports activity at a high level;
  • École nationale pour adultes, for adolescents and young adults who dropped out of school without a recognized qualification or who are not following any training while meeting the conditions to access vocational training.

2e voie de qualification

The secondary qualification track (2e voie de qualification) is part of the adult training and vocational training. It enables people who did not finish their initial studies and who wish to acquire the basic skills, to obtain a general secondary school leaving diploma, a General Certificate of Secondary Education or a vocational training qualification/certificate. Distance education courses are available for classical secondary education on the website portail eBac.

Private schooling offer

Five private schools financially supported by the State, provide the official curricula:

Five schools, also financially supported by the State but to a lesser extent, provide different curricula:

The European Schools are mainly available to the children of European officials and provide complete education curricula in their mother tongue leading to the European baccalaureate. Children of other intergovernmental institutions or private companies having entered into a special agreement may also be admitted as far as spots are available and against payment of tuition fees.

Useful links

Offres scolaires régulières

Offres scolaires spécifiques

2e voie de qualification sur le portail de la formation continue

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