September 2018 archive photo shows pupils at the new Mondorf-les-Bains international school LaLa La Photo

September 2018 archive photo shows pupils at the new Mondorf-les-Bains international school LaLa La Photo

The projects form part of a €1.3b investment package to finance 16 school infrastructure projects in the country between now and 2026, revealed by education minister Claude Meisch (DP) and public infrastructure minister François Bausch (déi Gréng) on Thursday.

Among those impacting the international community is the next public international school to open in the country, first announced in January 2019.

According to a statement issued to press, the new European-accredited primary and secondary school would be constructed in Limpertsberg, to open in 2027.The school would be housed in new buildings "wings 1000 and 2000" in the current Lycée Michel Lucius building, after this school moves to Kirchberg.The new school, which could accommodate up to 1,400 pupils, would benefit from a canteen and have access to the sports hall currently under construction at the Lycée Technique du Centre.

Before the school is finished and to meet a growing demand for international schooling in Luxembourg, the Lycée Lënster in Junglinster will be expanded. An additional building will be added from 2021 to accommodate this new influx. Students in the international section could also be accommodated in the Blumm building on the Geesseknäppchen in Luxembourg-Merl, according to the ministry document.

The details of the Lycée Michel Lucius move are briefly outlined in the strategy document. The school, which offers an English section following the UK curriculum, would move its primary school to "Laangfur" and its secondary to a site called “Kuebebierg”, in Kirchberg. The legislation for these new sites is expected to be tabled in 2021.

There are currently four public international schools in Luxembourg, three of which opened in September 2018. The Differdange (and Esch-sur-Alzette) International School, which was the first public international school offering the European school system curriculum to open in Luxembourg, will expand its international primary section in the former differentiated learning centre in Mondercange. The site would be able to take up to 240 pupils at primary and 40 at preschool.

The Waldorf school--which teaches in German, French and Luxembourgish and is located in Limpertsberg--will have a new building in the Grunewald district of Kirchberg in future.

Furthermore, the international school of Mondorf-les-Bains will have a new building, plans for which will be submitted by the end of 2020, and the Lycée Edward Steichen in Clervaux, which has an English section, will be extended.

In addition to a handful of changes at existing Luxembourg schools, the ministries revealed plans to open a pilot high school in Belval placing a focus on digital learning, social skills and critical thinking. At a later stage, the school would move to a permanent site on the former Esch-Schifflange industrial zone.

Updated 18 July, 2pm: Added missing languages of instruction for the Waldorf school.