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Starting in October, children will have lessons in French and Luxembourgish. Furthermore, the government will introduce 20 hours of free childcare per week.Picture credit: Lenoid Mamchenkov 

All children attending a childcare centre will learn both Luxembourgish and French.

The aim is to promote Luxembourgish language in all education structures, including those where the children do not currently speak Luxembourgish.

This will apply to all public and private childcare centres which are recognised by the state.

Free childcare for 20 hours a week

Furthermore, 20 hours a week in a multilingual day-care centre for 46 weeks a year will become free as of the next school year. Families on low incomes and large families will benefit from tariff reductions for children up to 12 years old.

CSV; ADR and Déi Lénk opposed the law

The centre right CSV voted against this law. MP Françoise Hetto-Gaasch said that some studies warn against learning several languages at a young age. The CSV would prefer it if Luxembourgish was the language spoken in nurseries, as it prepares for an alphabetisation in German. However, the education minister Claude Meisch argued that he had read studies which found the contrary.

The ADR MP Fernand Kartheiser argued that the law was another step towards increasing the influence of French in Luxembourg.

Déi Lénk’s David Wagner said that his party would abstain because there was no control over private childcare providers and they nevertheless continued to receive state funding.

The reform is set to cost €88 million annually.