Secondary education is under the direct authority of the ministry of Education, Children and Youth.
Public high schools are for students from the age of 12. Until the age of 16, schooling is compulsory. A complete high school cycle, without repeating classes, consists of seven years.
High school enrolment
After the orientation procedure guiding the transition from elementary education to high school, parents enroll their child in secondary education.
The class teacher provides the parents with the necessary documents for high school enrolment:
- A copy of the end of cycle review (cycle 4);
- A duly completed enrolment form;
- A copy of the orientation decision;
- these documents must be completed with a recent identity picture of the student.
For public European, international, British and German-Luxembourgish education the enrolment procedures and access conditions may vary. Further information can be obtained directly from the schools.
High school direction
The director (directeur) is responsible for the good functioning of the high school. He is both the head of staff, the educational manager and the administrative manager of the school. He approves the school development plan.
The deputy director (directeur adjoint) is assisting the director in accordance with the powers delegated by the latter and is replacing the director in case of absence.
The director may ask teachers to contribute to the organisation and implementation of the high school’s autonomy. These are called attachés à la direction and may among others be in charge of the contact with the parents of the students.
High school services
The Service psychosocial et d’accompagnement scolaires (SePAS)
In public high schools and in some of the private high schools, the Service psychosocial et d’accompagnement scolaires (SePAS) has different missions caring for the well-being of students:
- it provides psychological, personal and social guidance for students;
- it takes part in designing the « orientation » approach of the high school;
- it guides students in their study and orientation choices;
- it assists students with a difficult educational, psychological or family situation;
- it participates in the class councils to ensure the follow-up of the measures taken to assist the student;
- it assists teachers when dealing with students in difficulty;
- it organises preventive actions.
In high schools the SePAS include psychologists, social workers, teachers, qualified educators.
Concertation between the various SePAS, the exchange of good practices, the availability of resources and the annual assessment of psychological and social guidance provided by high schools is organized by the Centre psychosocial et d’accompagnement scolaires - CePAS. The CePAS also processes the financial support (in the form of subsidies for low-income households and subsidies to continue school) it submits to the SePAS.
The Service socio-éducatif (SSE)
In every high school a social pedagogic service (SSE - service socio-éducatif) is in charge of
- organising educative care activities, extra-curricular activities (cultural and sports activities, etc.) and directed studies,
- developing the social and personal skills of students through socio-educational projects in close collaboration with teachers;
- preventing students to drop out of school;
- preventing violence and conflicts;
- help students in difficulty.
These activities and interventions are provided outside school hours or during lessons when a teacher is absent.
The documentation and information centre (Centre de documentation et d’information)
Every high school has a documentation and information centre (CDI - Centre de documentation et d’information) that forms an integral part of the pedagogical organisation of the high school. The CDI teaches students to use information research tools and more specifically information and communication technologies. It provides a place and assistance for students who are studying outside class hours. Additionally, the CDC promotes reading.
The orientation unit (cellule d’orientation et d’intégration scolaires)
The orientation unit (cellule d’orientation et d’intégration scolaires) is in charge of implementing the educational and professional orientation approach of the high school. The objective is to inform students about the educational system, training possibilities and higher education options, to provide information about the socio-economic environment and more specifically about the job market as well as to develop their skills to choose their field of education and develop a personal education project.
The orientation unit comprises teachers and member of the teaching or psycho-social staff.
The school inclusion commission (CIS - commission d’inclusion scolaire de l’enseignement secondaire)
The school inclusion commission (CIS - commission d’inclusion scolaire de l’enseignement secondaire) defines, upon request of either the parents or the director, special measures for children or young people with specific educational needs and monitors the implementation of these measures.
The school development unit (CDS - cellule de développement scolaire)
The mission of the cellule de développement scolaire (CDS - school development unit) is to analyse and interpret high school data, to identify priority needs and to define school development strategies. It prepares the school charter, the profile and the school development plan in collaboration with the education council.
The CDS includes members of the direction and the high school conference appointed by the director for a renewable term of three years.
The operational bodies
The class council (conseil de classe)
For each class there is a class council, which consults on the implementation of educational contents and deliberates on the progress as well as on the attitude at work and the discipline of the students. It decides on the students’ promotion, issues opinions regarding their orientation and recommends or imposes additional measures should they experience difficulties at school.
The class council includes the director or the director’s representative and all the teachers involved in the curriculum of the class. Members meet each time the good functioning and discipline in the class so require.
The high school conference (conférence du lycée)
The high school conference includes the members of the teaching staff and the members of the support services of the high school. It provides opinions on all subjects submitted to it by the minister of education or the director. It decides upon its own initiative on any important teaching and educational issues in the high school.
The disciplinary council (conseil de discipline)
The mission of the disciplinary council is to take decisions with regard to violations, which could lead to expel a student from school. It comprises two members of the school management, three members of the teaching staff, a member of the SePAS and a representative of the parents.
Representation structures
The high school conference committee (comité de la conférence du lycée)
The high school conference committee represents the teachers with the school management, the minister, the student council and the parent council. It submits proposals to the director on teaching and educational issues in the high school as well as proposals regarding the continuing training of school staff.
The student council (comité des élèves)
The student council represents students with the school management, the high school conference committee and the parent council. It informs students about their rights and duties in the school community, in particular through the class representatives, and submits proposals regarding school activities and the work of students. It organises cultural, social or sport activities in the high school.
Members of the student council are elected by all the students of the high school among the students submitting their candidacy.
Student councils of the various high schools sent a representative to the Conférence nationale des élèves (CNEL- National student conference). The missions of the CNEL are to represent students and student councils with the minister, to issue opinions on the subjects submitted by the minister and to prepare proposals regarding school activities and the work of students.
The parent council (comité des parents d‘élèves)
The parent council represents the students’ parents with the school management, the high school conference committee and the student councils. It informs parents on any issues relating to high school education. The parent council can also organise cultural and social activities and prepare proposals on the organisation of teaching activities and the work of students.
The council appoints the parent representatives for the education council as well as the representative for the disciplinary council and elects two representatives to take part in the election of the Représentation nationale des parents d’élèves (national representation of students’ parents).
The education council (conseil d’éducation)
The education council adopts the school charter and approves the autonomous actions of the high school, the organisation of the weekly schedule and the allocation of the school budget. It adopts the school project and prepares proposals on any issues relating to school activities and the organisation of the school. It submits an opinion on the budget and takes part in preparing the school development plan (PDS).
The education council includes the director and representatives of the high school conference, the student council and the parent council. It can also include representatives of local authorities, as well of the economic, social or cultural sectors.