Meisch presents plan to address school violence

As violence rises in schools – from verbal abuse to physical attacks – Education Minister Claude Meisch unveiled an action plan on Monday to strengthen support for pupils and teachers.

A key measure unveiled at the press conference is the introduction of a second specialised teacher (I-EBS) in every school, particularly in larger institutions and those with many students needing support. This will be complemented by a new assistant role (A-EBS), intended to have one agent in each school to aid teachers directly.

Reserve to cushion ESEB agent absences

The organisation of regional support teams (ESEB) is also being revamped. A new local committee – including the school president, I-EBS, deputy regional director, and ESEB agents – will jointly plan school-specific support measures.

A reserve of ESEB agents will be created to cover absences and ensure continuity. Two specially trained ESEB agents per school will be ready to respond quickly to crises, including violence towards peers or staff.

Claude Meisch: “We have invested a lot of resources in recent years and yet we can see that the level of suffering in schools is high.” © Photo credit: Gilles Kayser

The organisation of regional support teams (ESEB) is also being revamped. A new local committee – including the school president, I-EBS, deputy regional director, and ESEB agents – will jointly plan school-specific support measures.

A reserve of ESEB agents will be created to cover absences and ensure continuity. Two specially trained ESEB agents per school will be ready to respond quickly to crises, including violence towards peers or staff.

Pupils who present an acute danger may be temporarily removed from lessons for up to three days, the minister said. The measure aims to prevent escalation and keep school life as normal as possible.

“This is no easy task,” Meisch said. “On the one hand, there is the need of all agents and pupils to feel safe at school. On the other hand, however, there is also compulsory education and the right to education of the respective pupil who is not doing well.” The aim is to avoid such escalations “and to ensure that school runs as normally as possible”.

Meisch also wants to improve the documentation of crisis situations.

Expansion of competence centres and socio-therapeutic centres

Support structures for pupils who cannot remain in regular classes will be expanded. National competence centres are set to grow from 90 to 124 by 2028, and beyond that to 135. Primary school socio-therapeutic centres will increase by one per year, with the first secondary school centre also planned.

The Commission nationale d’inclusion (CNI) will be reformed for faster decisions, including direct assignment of pupils to competence centres. The CNI will also merge with the Commission aux aménagements raisonnables (CAR) to avoid conflicts of responsibility.

Finally, a second teacher will be appointed in Cycle 1 schools to detect and address early deficits in language, motor and socio-emotional development. A pilot project will begin in 15 schools from 2027.

The plan responds to long-standing calls from the Syndicat national des enseignants (SNE) for permanent prevention, support and intervention structures in schools. This includes temporary transfers of high-risk pupils to therapeutic facilities for reintegration into regular education.

“The aim is to recognise deficits in the areas of language development, motor and socio-emotional development at an early stage and respond appropriately,” Meisch said.

In addition, the union has long called for the establishment of permanent prevention support, and intervention structures in schools, such as task forces composed of social workers, social pedagogues, and medical staff.

The ministry has partially addressed this demand by creating local committees to coordinate support measures at individual schools. However, staffing and human resources remain the responsibility of the regional directorates, Meisch said.

Detailed information on the action plan can be found on the newly established website www.inclusion-scolaire.lu.

(This article has first been published by the Luxemburger Wort. Translated using AI, with editing and adaptation by Lucrezia Reale.)