Gaston Ternes

In Luxembourg, education today shows two faces. On the one hand, the national school system with its trilingual tradition: Luxembourgish, German, French. On the other, the international schools, organized along the lines of the European Schools. Two systems. Two worlds. But one central question remains: what future do we want for our children? This is the question Gaston Ternes explores in this carte blanche. carte blanche.

The coexistence of national and international schools reflects the country’s reality: more than half of today’s residents do not hold Luxembourgish nationality. Many families stay only for a short time. International schools provide them with stability and continuity.

Yet the picture is more complex. The national school is no longer merely trilingual, but quadrilingual: English plays an increasingly important role, and young people face high expectations in four languages. At the same time, more and more children speak neither Luxembourgish, nor French, nor German at home. What is considered a richness can quickly become a barrier when language makes learning more difficult.

The establishment of additional international schools is a direct response to concrete needs. But are we not, in doing so, creating two systems that drift ever further apart?

Tomorrow, young people will meet in companies, institutions, and associations. But will they still share a common language?

We stand today at a crossroads. Shall we simply let the two systems continue side by side? Or do we have the courage to forge a common vision – a school that builds bridges?

We need schools where children from both systems learn together and grow culturally together. This is not about abolishing international schools, nor about copying the public school, nor about disparaging one or the other. No – it is about breaking down the current separation: creating partnerships between schools, developing exchange programs, sharing learning resources, and aligning large parts of the curriculum. Mathematics, science, sports, art, or music could be harmonized without great difficulty. Each system could learn from the other’s pedagogical approaches. Students from both systems could collaborate online.

Above all, mobility between the two systems must be consistently strengthened – without disruption, without disadvantage. Clear rules must ensure that subjects are mutually recognized. Bridges must be built, in both directions, with transitional phases or even transitional years.

But this is about more than education alone. It is about the social cohesion of our country. School is not only a place for learning. It is the living heart of our society. It must be a space where cultures meet. A place where children do not just learn for themselves, but also with and from one another.

The future is written in school. Not tomorrow. Not the day after tomorrow. But today.