Luxembourg public primary school system
- What are the different stages of primary school in Luxembourg?
- How do you enroll your child?
- What extracurricular activities are available?
- What organizations are available to support you throughout your child’s school career?
First of all, it’s important to know that in Luxembourg, school attendance is mandatory from ages 4 to 16, or even 18 for students born after September 1, 2002. Children can start attending Spillschoul as early as age 3
The school calendar in Luxembourg
For schools in Luxembourg, the school year generally begins on September 15 and ends on July 15. School holidays are scheduled as follows:
- one week in November for the All Saints’ Day break
- two weeks in December/January for the Christmas break
- one week in February for Carnival break
- two weeks of vacation in March/April for the Easter break
- one week in May/June for Pentecost.
Other private international schools may follow a different academic calendar. Please check with the school in question.
Enrollment in public elementary school
When you register with your municipality of residence, your child is automatically enrolled in the local public school.
Consequently, as soon as your child reaches the mandatory school age of 4, you will automatically receive a notice for the upcoming school year. Your child will then attend the elementary school in your district.
However, you may choose to enroll your child in another public school outside your municipality of residence. To do so , you must submit a request to the municipal administration of the school in question by May 1 of the year preceding the next school year.
Help your child become familiar with the different languages of the Luxembourg school system by watching local television or having them read comic books.
You may also decide to enroll your child in an international or private school. In that case , you must provide a certificate of enrollment to your local municipal office, confirming their enrollment.
If you registered with your municipality after March 1 or if you have not received any correspondence by April 15 preceding the start of the school year, please contact your municipality’s education department directly .
The school year generally begins on September 15 and ends on July 15, excluding weekends.
The Maison Relais, a public after-school care facility
When you register upon arrival in your municipality of residence, be sure to inquire about the Maison Relais or the municipality’s school daycare center. Children are cared for there outside of school hours. Generally, Maisons Relais also provide lunch.
Children attending school in the municipality are given priority. Care hours vary from 7 a.m. before school, through lunchtime, to 6 p.m. after school. Childcare is available during the school year and after school hours, except on weekends. Maison Relais centers also close for 2 or 3 weeks during the year, during the Christmas season and during summer vacation.
Can’t find a spot at a Maison relais? Check here for other childcare options in Luxembourg.
Traditional Celebrations in Elementary School
Elementary school children celebrate local traditions in particular, such as:
- Saint Nicholas Day on December 6. After welcoming the “Klesschen,” they have no classes on Saint Nicholas Day,
- “Liichtsmessdag,” making lanterns to parade through the streets on the evening of February 2,
- Carnival, when students can come to school in costume for Carnival on the first day of the February break
- Father’s Day or “Pappendag” in early October and “Mammendag” or Mother’s Day in June, when they make a gift for their parents.
Enrollment of foreign or newly arrived students
Academic Support
Foreign children who have recently arrived in Luxembourg receive strong support as part of their schooling. They benefit from orientation classes and language support courses to facilitate their integration.
For more information, contact your municipality’s education department.
In addition, multilingual intercultural mediators (speaking Albanian, Cape Verdean, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, etc.) are available to facilitate communication between foreign parents who have recently arrived in Luxembourg and the school and/or teachers. This service is free of charge.
Learn more about educational support for foreign children arriving in Luxembourg
Alternatives to the Luxembourg primary education system
Does your child not have a sufficient command of the Luxembourgish language? Would you prefer that instruction be conducted in their native language (English/French/German)?
Foreign students have an increasing number of options outside the Luxembourg primary school system. They can join other programs from a young age while remaining within the public school system.
This is particularly the case at the Michel Lucius public school in Luxembourg City, which offers the Luxembourgish curriculum in English, as well as at Luxembourg’s public European schools.
Why choose to live in Luxembourg with your family? We’ll tell you more here.
Language instruction in Luxembourg schools
The traditional system
In the Luxembourgish system, education is based on the country’s three official languages: Luxembourgish , German, and French.
“Spillschoul” ( ) is traditionally based solely on spoken Luxembourgish. Very recently, it was decided to integrate French at this stage. Throughout the Luxembourg school system, Luxembourgish remains the primary language of instruction for communication between students and teachers.
Upon entering Cycle 2 of primary education, children begin literacy and reading instruction in German. They continue their studies in various subjects in German and strengthen their knowledge of the French language.
A reform aims to introduce French as an optional supplementary literacy program.
English is introduced starting in secondary school.
Literacy in French in elementary school
Since 2025, Luxembourg has launched a major literacy reform in primary education, offering parents the option to choose between literacy instruction in German or French for their child.
Why this reform?
It aims to facilitate learning for children who do not speak German at home and to reduce educational inequalities, while preserving the multilingualism of the Luxembourg education system.
Phased rollout
- 2026–2027 school year: choice available from the start of schooling (Cycle 1.2)
- 2027/2028: first students literate in the chosen language
- Gradual rollout through 2032/2033
What this means for families
Parents become actively involved in the language choice; children can begin their education in a more accessible language, and the system continues to gradually introduce the other languages (German, French, Luxembourgish).
This reform makes schools more inclusive and better suited to students’ linguistic backgrounds. For expatriate families, it facilitates their children’s integration into the Luxembourg school system.
Elementary School
General Structure of Elementary School
Luxembourg’s elementary school is for children up to age 12. Education is a right in Luxembourg, regardless of gender, race, religion, or language.
Any child registered in a municipality is automatically enrolled in the public school in their municipality of residence. However, parents may also choose to enroll their child in a private school of their choice, whether international or Luxembourgish.
Luxembourg’s primary education is provided to children for the first 9 years of their schooling. School is mandatory for all children over the age of 4 as of September 1 of the current year.
Primary education is divided into four fundamental stages of learning. Starting at age 4, children must attend school until they turn 12. They will then move on to a Luxembourg secondary school, if they remain in the Luxembourg school system.
Generally, children attend school three full days—Monday , Wednesday, and Friday — from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. , with a two-hour lunch break , and two half-days in the morning on Tuesday and Thursday.
Cycle 1: Early Childhood Education and Preschool (“Spillschoul”)
How Cycle 1 works for children aged 3 to 5
Cycle 1 is designed for children aged 3 to 5. Enrollment in “Early Education” is optional from ages 3 to 4, then mandatory for the two preschool years known as “Spillschoul” from ages 4 to 5.
A child may optionally enroll in early education starting at age 3. Until age 4, you may choose to have your child cared for at a daycare center or keep them at home. Any child who has turned 4 by September 1 must start school during the current academic year.
Learning during Cycle 1 of elementary school
Cycle 1 of early education promotes the child’s socialization. It aims to develop their intellectual curiosity and cognitive knowledge. Instruction is conducted in Luxembourgish, regardless of the child’s native language. Luxembourgish serves as the common language for all children who have attended the Luxembourg public school system. However, children are now introduced to the French language starting at this stage.
Cycles 2, 3, and 4 of elementary school
How Cycles 2 through 4 Work for Children Aged 6 to 11
Starting at age 6, children enter Cycle 2 of elementary school for a period of 2 years. Cycles 2.1 and 2.2 mark the beginning of elementary school. They include children aged 6 to 7 years old.
Following on from this, Cycles 3 and 4 also last two years. Cycles 3.1 and 3.2 are for children aged 8 to 9, and Cycles 4.1 and 4.2 are for children aged 10 and 11 before they enter high school.
Learning in Cycles 2 through 4 of the Luxembourg primary school system
Cycles 2 through 4 emphasize language learning. This is the majorstrength of the Luxembourg primary school system.
During these six years of elementary school, children learn to read and write in German. This is the traditional language of literacy and instruction starting in Cycle 2.1. Students then learn French starting in Cycle 2.2.
A new reform aims to give parents the choice of literacy instruction in German or French. See below.
The subjects taught include German, French, mathematics, science, art, singing, and music, among others. History and geography are taught starting in Cycle 4. Each cycle is designed to help children acquire different skills and foundational competencies that enable them to progress to the next cycle.
Educational Pathways After Luxembourg Primary School
After completing six years of elementary school, children typically move on to Luxembourg’s secondary school system, or lycée.
Guidance Principles for Post-Elementary School Starting in Cycle 4.1
Luxembourg secondary education begins at age 12 with enrollment in high school. Admission to high schools depends on available spots based on a geographic school district map.
Find out about the educational offerings of Luxembourg high schools starting in Cycle 4.1 to determine your child’s educational path. It is, however, possible to enroll your child—whether in a private or public school—in an international or Luxembourg high school outside the school district. Admission will be based on the application. You will then need to provide proof of your child’s enrollment to your municipality of residence by submitting a certificate of enrollment.
Check the Open House schedule and attend with your child starting in Cycle 4.1.
Guidance Process for the Classical or General Track
Starting in Cycle 4.1, regular quarterly parent-teacher conferences help prepare for the child’s educational path. A total of six conferences help determine the path toward so-called “classical” or “general” secondary education.
Teachers provide an initial recommendation regarding this track at the end of Cycle 4.1. The end-of-cycle report and the interim report are given to parents during the second meeting at the start of the third quarter of Cycle 4.2. The orientation meeting takes place during the third and final meeting of Cycle 4.2.
French, German, and mathematics are the three main subjects that determine admission to high school. The classicaltrack is reserved for the top students.
The decision regarding the student’s academic track is based on the child’s academic performance over the two years of Cycle 4 (4.1 and 4.2) and on specific assessments. If parents wish, they may also consult a psychologist.
Articles de la catégorie Education – Higher education in Luxembourg
High schools and secondary education in Luxembourg
At age 12, after completing primary school, students in the Luxembourg education system move on to secondary school, where they are required to continue their education until age 18 or until they obtain a diploma or certificate of completion.
International, private, and public elementary and secondary schools
Are you moving to Luxembourg and want your child to continue their education in their original school system? Would you prefer an alternative to the Luxembourg public school system? Find all the information you need here.
University, higher education, and financial aid
In Luxembourg, young high school graduates can choose between continuing their higher education in Luxembourg or going abroad to study. Here you will find options for higher education in Luxembourg, at university or other higher education institutions.