Organisation

Secondary education is under the direct authority of the ministry of Education, Children and Youth.

Public secondary schools are open to adolescents having reached the age of 12. Schooling is currently compulsory until the 1^st September following the 16^th birthday. From the start of the 2026/2027 school year, schooling will be compulsory until the age of 18.

A full secondary school cycle, without repeating a class, lasts seven years.

Secondary school enrolment

After the orientation procedure guiding the transition from elementary to secondary education, parents enroll their child in secondary education.

The class teacher provides the parents with the necessary documents for high school enrolment:

the end of cycle review (cycle 4);
a duly completed enrolment form;
the orientation decision.

These documents must be completed with:

a recent identity picture of the student;
a residence certificate extended to the name of the student’s legal representative (to be requested from the municipal administration or downloaded from MyGuichet.lu) or a residence certificate in the name of the student (to be requested from the municipal administration).

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.

Secondary 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.

Secondary school services

Service psychosocial et d’accompagnement scolaires (SePAS)

In public secondary schools and in certain private secondary schools, within the département éducatif et psychosocial (Education and Psychosocial Department), a Service psychosocial et d’accompagnement scolaires (SePAS, Psychosocial Counselling and School Support Service) is responsible for:

informing pupils of the offers available to them for their well-being
providing psychological and social guidance for pupils and their families, and supporting their development in the event of difficult psychosocial situations
assisting pupils in a vulnerable situation or in the event of discrimination or bullying and helping to promote the respectof pupils’ rights
putting in place support for pupils who are at risk of dropping out of school, by promoting their personal resources, which are beneficial to learning and academic success;
helping to improve the socio-economic conditions of pupils’ families so that they are conducive to academic success, and assist pupils with the procedures related to applying for school subsidies
in collaboration with the Service socio-éducatif (SSE, Socio-Educational Service), including those in boarding-school houses, putting in place activities for prevention (mental health, reducing the dangers associated with social media) and promotion (managing the risks of and a reduction in addictions, emotional and sexual health, non-violent communication to reduce violence and bullying)
collaborating with the support team for pupils with special educational needs (équipe de soutien des élèves à besoins éducatifs spécifiques, ESEB) and participating in meetings with the inclusion commission)
networking with specialist services in the social, legal, psychological and medical areas as well as in housing matters, etc.
being present at the class council (Conseil de classe), the disciplinary council (Conseil de discipline), the education council (Conseil d’éducation) and the Cellule de développement scolaire (School Development Unit).

The SePAS in secondary schools is comprised of psychologists, social workers and graduate educators.

Cooperation between the various SePAS, the exchange of good practices, the provision of resources and the annual assessment of the psychosocial support by secondary schools is carried out by the Centre psychosocial et d’accompagnement scolaires (CePAS, Psychosocial Counselling and School Support Centre). The CePAS also processes applications for financial support (in the form of subsidies for low-income households and stay-in-school subsidies) that are submitted to it by the SePAS.

Service socio-éducatif (SSE)

In every secondary school, within the education and psychosocial department, a Service socio-éducatif (SSE, Socio-Educational Service) is responsible for:

creating educational areas that young people can freely use and adapt according to their own interests and needs
offering a range of educational activities in and outside secondary schools that give young people new ideas and incentives for their own development
enabling relaxed and inspiring moments of social interaction in groups
fostering youth cultures in schools
encouraging a positive school environment
creating opportunities for young people to participate and get active in schools.

Youth work in schools is essential for a high-quality holistic education. It promotes the development of young people’s skills and personalities in the context of non-formal education.

These activities and interventions are provided outside school hours or during lessons when the teacher is absent.

School-boarding houses

At the secondary schools concerned, the boarding house offers:

the opportunity for every young person to enjoy their school life in an environment conducive to their well-being and academic success
educational teams supporting the young people in their daily lives by offering, on a temporary basis, an environment complementary to the family environment while they are at the boarding house.

The age of the pupils who are eligible for boarding places depends on the offer provided at the associated public schools: secondary education, vocational training, international stream, etc.

One of the CePAS’s tasks is to support the educational teams working in public school-boarding houses. The socio-familial boarding houses (internats socio-familiaux) are subject to an agreement with the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth and are governed by the Direction générale de l’aide à l’enfance et à la famille (General Directorate for Childhood and Family Support).

Centre de documentation et d’information

Every secondary school has a documentation and information centre (Centre de documentation et d’information, CDI) 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 CDI promotes reading.

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 secondary 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.

Commission d’inclusion de l’enseignement secondaire

The inclusion commission (commission d’inclusion de l’enseignement secondaire, CI) 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.

Cellule de développement scolaire

The mission of the school development unit (cellule de développement scolaire, CDS) is to analyse and interpret secondary 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 secondary school conference appointed by the director for a renewable term of three years.

The operational bodies

Conseil de classe

For each class there is a class council (conseil de classe), 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.

Conférence du lycée

The secondary school conference (conférence du lycée) includes the members of the teaching staff and the members of the support services of the secondary 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 secondary school.

Conseil de discipline

The mission of the disciplinary council (conseil de discipline) 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

Comité de la conférence du lycée

The secondary school conference committee (comité de la conférence du lycée) 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.

Comité des élèves

The student council (comité des élèves) represents students with the school management, the secondary 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 secondary school.

Members of the student council are elected by all the students of the secondary school among the students submitting their candidacy.

Student councils of the various secondary 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.

Comité des parents d‘élèves

The parent council (comité des parents d‘élèves) 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 secondary 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).

Conseil d’éducation

The education council (conseil d’éducation) adopts the school charter and approves the autonomous actions of the secondary 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.