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On Wednesday 3 December 2025, the Chamber of Deputies (Luxembourg's parliament) passed a law allowing parents to choose German or French as the language of literacy for their children in primary education.
The reform, proposed by Luxembourg's Minister of Education, Children and Youth, Claude Meisch, was adopted with 52 votes in favour, two abstentions (Pirate Party) and five votes against (ADR).
From 2027 onwards, parents will be able to select either German or French as the language of literacy for their children in primary school.
According to Luxembourg's Ministry of Education, Children and Youth, the reform aims to "create a more equitable school system that is more in tune with the linguistic reality of the school population in Luxembourg."
The ministry noted that Luxembourg and its public schools have "a long tradition of multilingualism". Historically, German has been the language of literacy, while written French is introduced in the third year of primary school; Luxembourgish is the common language of communication for all pupils.
The ministry said this model worked well for a long time in a society where most families spoke Luxembourgish at home. However, demographic changes mean that more than two thirds of pupils no longer speak either Luxembourgish or German at home, making literacy in German more challenging for many students. As such, Luxembourg is taking a "resolutely innovative" approach to adapting its school system to the "real needs" of its population.
The reform is based on scientific research, which has shown that pupils develop better skills when they learn in a language similar to the one used at home. Starting in the 2027/2028 school year, first-year primary school pupils will learn to read, write and calculate in the language (German or French) chosen by their parents.
Minister Meisch stated: "A fair school is not one that treats all pupils the same, but one that responds to the needs of each individual."
According to the ministry, the reform maintains the unity of Luxembourg's school system while taking into account pupils' linguistic diversity. Throughout their schooling in preschool (two years) and primary school (six years), pupils will spend 70% of their time together in class. During the first four years of primary education, however, German, French and mathematics lessons will be taught in separate groups, depending on the chosen language. All other subjects will be taught in Luxembourgish within the same shared class.
The reform is expected to "improve the chances of success for many pupils and contribute to social cohesion" in an increasingly linguistically and culturally diverse country, giving every pupil "the best chances for success".
Like the preceding ALPHA pilot project launched in 2022, the reform will be subject to scientific monitoring throughout its implementation.
