The bill will be applied from the start of the 2022-2023 school year and will ensure free music lessons but also theatre, dance, choir, and diction classes.  Photo: Shutterstock.

The bill will be applied from the start of the 2022-2023 school year and will ensure free music lessons but also theatre, dance, choir, and diction classes.  Photo: Shutterstock.

Luxembourg will introduce free public music education applying to about two thirds of pupils, with partial or complete reimbursement for the rest, strengthening funding for municipalities that offer music lessons.

The country’s musical education reform was approved in parliament on Tuesday voted, with 56 votes for and four abstentions. The changes will come into effect from the start of the 2022-2023 school year and will ensure free music lessons but also theatre, dance, choir and diction classes. The initiative will be spearheaded by Luxembourg’s communes and will apply to children from the age of three and older.

“Quality music education that is free and accessible to all children and young people contributes to their individual development and supports the development of their skills,” said education minister Claude Meisch in a statement.

Courses that are not covered by the free education bill will be fully reimbursed to families with low income and partially reimbursed to those above that threshold.

The annual financial allocation from the state to municipalities will be increased by more than 50% and will no longer be capped but instead it will be adjusted each year according to the number of pupils and the amount of teaching time in music schools. The reform also envisions providing more support for music teachers from 1 January 2023.

Higher music education in Luxembourg expanded its offer in 2021 when t, enabling graduates to work in the grand duchy and the greater region.