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Glossary

Luxembourg

16.Glossary

Last update: 27 November 2023
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ALLET classes

('ALLET' = allemand langue étrangère - German as a foreign language)

Classes in the lower cycle of classic secondary education (ESC grades 7e to 5e, i.e. the first 3 years of ESC) that offer extra teaching in German. Available to learners who reached the level of 4.2 cycle in primary education (ISCED 1) with a very good level in French and mathematics, but with difficulties in German.

Allocation de rentrée scolaire

Yearly allowance for the beginning of the school year, granted to pupils from the age of six years until the end of their schooling (or until they turn 25). This allowance is intended to compensate some of the expenses incurred at the beginning of the school year (i.e. books, material).

Bilan de fin de cycle

The end-of-cycle assessment report is delivered by the pedagogical team at the end of each cycle (certification assessment). It is based on the competence-based approach and certifies the pupil’s competences for transition to the upper cycle.

Brevet de maîtrise

The master craftsman's diploma (ISCED 4) is a diploma that allows the graduate to work as a self-employer in the craft sector and to train apprentices.

BTS - Brevet de technicien supérieur

Advanced technician’s diploma (ISCED 5): a short-cycle professional diploma delivered after 2 years of higher education at a secondary school.

CCP - Certificat de capacité professionnelle

Certificate of vocational ability, delivered after 3 years in the vocational regime (ESG secondary education).

CePAS - Centre psycho-social et d’accompagnement scolaires

The Centre for educational and psychosocial follow-up and support offers information and advice to all members of the school community, complementing the services of the SePAS structures established at all secondary schools.

Certificat intermédiaire

Intermediary certificate stating the success of five years of secondary education at the end of the 3rd class.

Classe d’accueil

Welcome class (in ESG) for newly arrived learners aged 12-15 years with no knowledge of either French or German. Classe d'accueil offers intensive French and an introduction to Luxembourgish, with a view to integrating its learners into mainstream secondary education in accordance with their language skills and general level.

CLIJA - Classe d’insertion pour jeunes adultes

Insertion class for young adults (aged 16-17 and recently arrived in Luxembourg), offering basic education in French with a view to allowing learners access to ESG (technical secondary education) or enabling social and economic autonomy. (ESG classes 7e, 6e, 5e – i.e. the first three years)

Classe d’insertion

Insertion class in the 3 lower years of general secondary education (ESG), for pupils aged 12-16 years having achieved a fair academic level in their country of origin, but with no or limited linguistic competences in the languages of instruction in Luxembourg. Insertion classes offer intensive courses in French or German, as well as other courses related to the syllabus of lower ESG secondary education.

Classe polyvalente

Comprehensive class in upper classic secondary education (ESC 4th year), with guidance at the end of the year towards one of the last 3 years' specialised sections.

Classes relais

Relay classes offering temporary intensive monitoring to pupils with behavioural difficulties, in order to prepare them to reintegrate mainstream education.

Classes à régime linguistique spécifique (RLS)

see: RLS classes

Congé individuel de formation

Individual training leave, helping learners to attend courses, prepare and pass examinations, prepare dissertations or carry out all other work related to an eligible course while keeping their job and drawing their salary. The maximum number of working days is 20 days in a 2-year-period and 80 days over the course of a person’s working life. The employer receives a compensation for the employees’ salary for the number of training days granted.

Congé linguistique

Paid language training leave for employees, in order for them to learn or improve their knowledge of the Luxembourgish language. The total length of this leave amounts to 200 hours for tuition, to be divided into 2 sections (requiring separate applications). The employer receives a compensation for the employees’ salary for the number of training days granted.

Congé sans solde pour formation

Unpaid training leave allowing employees of private sector companies to temporarily interrupt their professional career in order to undertake a vocational training course for a period of 4 to 6 months. The maximum accumulated length of leave periods is limited to 2 years per employer.

Contrat d’accueil et d’intégration

Welcome and integration contract for immigrants aged 16 years and more: a facultative offer addressed to all foreign nationals legally residing on the Luxembourg territory and wishing to remain in the country on a long-term basis. Concluded for a duration of 2 years, this scheme allows beneficiaries to participate in language courses on a discounted rate and grants them free access to citizenship training courses.

Cours d’accueil

Intensive German, French and Luxembourgish language courses for recently arrived pupils who don’t master the country's languages.

Cours intégrés

Integrated lessons, i. e. lessons taught in the pupils’ mother tongue in elementary education. They include 2 lessons (natural sciences, history or geography) weekly taught within the regular school timetable.

Crèche

Day care centre.

see: mini-crèche.

Cycle (cycle d'apprentissage)

Learning period (in preschool and primary education), at the end of which the pupil will have attained predefined learning outcomes.

Diplôme d’aptitude professionnelle (DAP)

Vocational aptitude diploma (ISCED 3) delivered after 3 years vocational regime (ESG).

Diplôme de fin d’études secondaires

Secondary school leaving diploma obtained at the end of the 7th year of secondary education. Final diplomas of classic (ESC) and general (ESG) secondary education are recognised as equivalent and give access to higher education or to the labour market.

Diplôme de fin d’études secondaires techniques

(prior to the 2018 secondary school reform)

Former technical school leaving diploma obtained at the end of the then-called13th grade (or 14th for some sections) in former technical secondary education (today ESG) and giving access to the labour market or to higher education.

Diplôme de technicien (DT)

Technician’s diploma (ISCED 3).

Direction de région

Regional governing body for elementary (= preschool and primary) education.

Division inférieure de l’enseignement secondaire

Lower years of secondary education.

Division supérieure de l’enseignement secondaire

Upper years of secondary education.

EBS - élèves à besoins éducatifs particuliers ou spécifiques

Pupils with special or specific educational needs (SEN pupils).

École fondamentale

Elementary school (ISCED 1) delivering preschool and primary education.

Encadrement périscolaire

Extra-curricular childcare.

Enseignement fondamental

Elementary education (ISCED 1 = preschool and primary), divided into 4 cycles for 4 to 11 year-old children.

Enseignement précoce

Early childhood education (ISCED 0) offered as a first and optional year of Cycle 1 in elementary education (enseignement fondamental).

ESEB - équipes de soutien des élèves à besoins éducatifs particuliers ou spécifiques

SEN pupil support teams active at each regional governing body of preschool and primary education.

ESC - enseignement secondaire classique

Classic secondary education (ISCED 2/3), with a standard duration of 7 years. ESC leads to a secondary school leaving diploma and mainly prepares learners for higher education.

ESG - enseignement secondaire général

General secondary education (ISCED 2/3), with a standard duration of up to 7 years depending on the pathway. ESG also includes vocational education and leads to a secondary school leaving diploma allowing access to higher education (academic or non-academic), or to professional practice.

Foyer de jour

Day care centre.

Grande Région

Greater Region, a geopolitical region composed of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and adjacent regions of France, Germany and Belgium: Lorraine, Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate, Wallonia, French- and German-speaking communities of Belgium.

I-EBS

(instituteurs spécialisés dans la scolarisation des élèves à besoins éducatifs particuliers ou spécifiques)

Elementary school teachers specialised in SEN pupils' schooling.

ISCED

(International Standard Classification of Education)

International reference classification for organising education programmes and related qualifications by levels and fields. ISCED 2011 has nine education levels, from level 0 to level 8 (cf. Operational manual).

Lycée

Secondary school (ISCED 2/3) covering lower and upper level of secondary education (ESC and/or ESG).

Lycée d'enseignement secondaire général

ESG lycée - secondary school (ISCED 2/3) covering different technical education sections, including vocational education.

Maison relais

Day-care centre operating under the authority of a municipal administration or a inter-municipal syndicate (syndicat intercommunal).

MENJE

(ministère de l'Éducation nationale, de l'Enfance et de la Jeunesse)

Ministry of Education, Children and Youth.

MESR

(ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche)

Ministry of Higher Education and Research.

Mini-crèche

Registered ECEC day-care service offering non-formal educational activities, leisure, rest and supervised study to a maximum number of 11 children simultaneously, of which no more than 4 under the age of one year.

Régime préparatoire

Preparatory regime organised in modular classes in the vocational secondary education (ESG) for pupils who encounter difficulties at the level of specific contents or of their learning rhythm.

Registre des titres

Register of certificates providing recognition and validation of foreign higher education degrees.

RLS classes

(RLS = régime linguistique spécifique).

Classes offering mainstream secondary education provision with specific language-related variations.

Special language education classes are classes taught in French in the lower and upper vocational education for pupils who don’t have a sufficient level in German (15 years pupils and above).

SEN pupils

Pupils with special educational needs.

SePAS - Service psycho-social et d'accompagnement scolaires

Service for educational and psychosocial follow-up and support: guidance and monitoring service present at every secondary school, providing (among other missions) educational and vocational guidance and monitoring learners' progression.

Structure d’accueil

Childcare facility.

VAE - validation des acquis de l’expérience

Validation of non-formal and informal learning.