Following a meeting with Education Minister Claude Meisch on 15 April, the Education and Science union (SEW), part of the Independent Luxembourg Trade Union Confederation (OGBL), said in a press release that the government’s new inclusion package was moving in the right direction, while stressing that several concerns remain.
In the press release, the SEW/OGBL welcomed the fact that the Ministry of Education had involved trade unions in the process and had taken up some of its demands. The union described the planned national crisis procedure, regional crisis team, replacement pool for ESEB staff – who support pupils with special educational needs –, and additional staff members in Cycle 1 as steps in the right direction.
However, the SEW/OGBL warned in the press release that staff must not be burdened with further reporting duties or bureaucracy. The union said education staff need trust, clear structures, and enough room to act independently in their daily work.
The SEW/OGBL also argued in the press release that the planned reporting procedure does not go far enough. In its view, all incidents of violence in schools should be recorded centrally and anonymously, including cases resolved locally or involving aggressive parents.
The press release also criticised the timeline for adding a second person to Cycle 1 classes, calling implementation from 2027/28 too slow. The union said more clarity was needed on how the additional resources would be allocated.
The text for the new measures, however, is lacking a clear, standardised framework for action, the SEW/OGBL stated. According to the press release, staff and regional directors will need concrete, uniform protection, and intervention measures to fall back on in crisis situations, the union wrote on Friday.
The SEW/OGBL concluded in its press release that it would closely monitor whether the measures are implemented properly in everyday school life and without additional administrative pressure.
