Illustration photo shows a young girl holding her mother's hand. Luxembourg schools are expected to reopen in stages, starting 4 May for final year students, 11 May for other secondary years and 25 May for primary and crèches Shutterstock

Illustration photo shows a young girl holding her mother's hand. Luxembourg schools are expected to reopen in stages, starting 4 May for final year students, 11 May for other secondary years and 25 May for primary and crèches Shutterstock

In a bid to address questions, DP minister Claude Meisch’s response suggests that there are many details related to school reopenings that have to be fine-tuned.

Meisch said he did not think it “conceivable to exempt pupils from attending school”, provided that adequate health measures were taken.

Learners and teaching staff with existing conditions that make them more vulnerable would, however, be exempted. He said that no precise figures were available to say how many people were in this group.

The minister reiterated earlier statements encouraging final year students and teachers to take advantage of the fact that screening is now available for everyone in Luxembourg without a prescription or symptoms.

Quarter attendance

He also said that physical attendance in school would be minimal, reduced to a quarter of the normal time. This is because in addition to having half of every class spend every other week doing homeschool, during the weeks in which classroom attendance is required, pupils would only need to be present in the morning.

Discussions are reportedly underway with communes with regards to school transport, on which the wearing of masks would be mandatory.

Crèches and after-school facilities (maisons relais) would be subject to new limits on the number of people. If limits are reached, Meisch said that consideration should be given to extend family leave beyond the 25 May deadline. He suggested a similar extension for parents of vulnerable children, but stressed parental leave was not part of his portfolio.

Unpopular decision

The decision to reopen high schools for final year students on 4 May, the remaining secondary years from 11 May and primary from 25 May has proved unpopular across the board.

A petition calling for homeschooling to continue until the end of the academic year in the interests of student and pupil health attracted over 6,000 signatures within days of going online. And teachers’ unions have proposed a number of measures, such as voluntary attendance and pushing back start dates.

A joint statement from unions ACEN, AGESS, APESS, CNEL, FEDUSE/CGFP, SEW/OGBL and UNEL published on 28 April called for school attendance of final year students to be optional and consideration to extend home schooling until the end of the school year. They also want clarification on the technical equipment in schools for televising classes to at risk learners who would stay at home, how access to these virtual classes would be guaranteed, and how teachers and learners would prove they are part of an “at risk” group.

The SNE, a teaching union for primary teachers, wrote in a statement on 26 April that flexibility should be key. Permission from parents should also be sought before filming and streaming classes and it wanted the minister to consider postponing the return of kindergarten classes, because of challenges in maintaining hygiene practices.