• MMC

Moving to Luxembourg with children involves many decisions: where to live, which school to choose, which administrative steps to anticipate… and, above all, which language the child will use throughout their education.

From the 2026/2027 school year, an important development in Luxembourg’s education system is set to give families greater flexibility. Through the “ALPHA – zesumme wuessen” project, families will progressively be able to choose between French and German as their child’s literacy language in primary education.

This change comes against a backdrop of rapidly growing student numbers and increasingly diverse linguistic profiles in Luxembourg. For expatriate families, it may therefore have a concrete impact on relocation planning and school choices.

A school system welcoming more and more students

The 2026/2027 school year confirms the continued growth of Luxembourg’s education system. More than 120,000 students are expected to attend public and private primary and secondary schools, representing an increase of around 2,200 students compared with the previous year.

Since 2020/2021, student numbers have increased by more than 12%, with nearly 13,000 additional students in six years.

This growth is particularly visible in the public education system. Public primary schools are expected to welcome 58,647 children in 2026/2027, while public secondary schools will have approximately 45,400 students.

This development reflects, among other factors, Luxembourg’s attractiveness to international families and the country’s population growth. It also highlights the challenges involved in welcoming students with increasingly diverse educational and linguistic backgrounds.

Greater flexibility for international children

Luxembourg’s education system operates in a highly multilingual environment. A significant proportion of students do not speak Luxembourgish or German at home, which can make learning to read and write initially in German more challenging for some children.

This is where the “ALPHA – zesumme wuessen” project comes into play.

From the 2026/2027 school year, parents will progressively be able to choose whether their child learns to read, write and do mathematics in French or German in primary education.

For expatriate families, this means that the language a child is already familiar with can be taken into greater consideration when they enter the Luxembourg education system.

A particularly relevant development for French-speaking families

For families relocating from France, French-speaking Belgium, Canada or another French-speaking country, this option may help ensure greater continuity in their child’s education.

It may be particularly relevant when a child arrives in Luxembourg after having previously attended a French-language school and does not yet have a sufficient level of German.

However, choosing a literacy language does not mean that a child will follow an exclusively French- or German-speaking education. Luxembourg’s education system remains strongly multilingual, with several languages taught throughout the school years.

The aim is rather to enable children to develop their language skills while beginning their core learning in a language that is better suited to their linguistic background and previous educational experience.

French is also gaining a stronger presence in public education

The development of the ALPHA project is part of a broader diversification of the education offering in Luxembourg.

In secondary education, French-language pathways are continuing to expand. In the 2026/2027 school year, French-language Year 7 classes will be offered in several schools within both classical and general secondary education, as well as in preparatory education.

Public international education is also experiencing significant growth. International secondary programmes are expected to welcome 6,932 students in 2026/2027, compared with 6,349 the previous year and only 2,397 in 2020/2021.

Over six years, student numbers in these programmes have therefore almost tripled.

For expatriate families, this diversification provides more options for building an educational pathway that is consistent with their children’s existing language skills and the family’s future mobility plans.

The development of public European Schools is also helping to meet this growing demand, with around 3,500 additional places planned, bringing the total capacity of these schools to nearly 10,000 students in the longer term.

A decision to anticipate before moving

For international families, this development above all highlights the importance of planning their children’s education well in advance of the relocation.

The choice of literacy language may depend on several factors: the child’s native language, their proficiency in different languages, their previous educational background, as well as the family’s future plans.

The location of the family home can also play an important role, as school options and housing choices often need to be considered together.

Families are therefore encouraged to start their research early in order to understand the different options available and identify the solution best suited to their individual circumstances.

A gradual implementation from 2026/2027

The “ALPHA – zesumme wuessen” project was initially tested for three years in four primary schools in Differdange, Dudelange, Larochette and Schifflange.

Following this pilot phase, the Luxembourg government approved the progressive roll-out of the programme.

From the 2026/2027 school year, the scheme is set to be gradually introduced in primary schools across the country, starting with Cycle 1.2 before being extended to the other cycles.

This gradual implementation will allow schools, teachers and families to be supported throughout the transition.

What does this mean for companies welcoming international employees?

Children’s education is often a key factor in the success of an international relocation.

In a country where student numbers continue to rise and linguistic backgrounds are becoming increasingly diverse, having more schooling options can make it easier for families to settle in and integrate into their new environment.

For companies, this development is therefore another factor to consider when supporting international employees and their families.

At MMC Luxembourg, we support families with their school search and help them better understand the specific features of Luxembourg’s education system, so that their children’s schooling can be planned from the earliest stages of the relocation process.

Key takeaways

From the 2026/2027 school year, Luxembourg is progressively moving towards a system that allows families to choose between French and German as their child’s literacy language in primary education.

This development comes as the Luxembourg education system continues to welcome more students, while French-language and international education options are expanding.

For expatriate families, it provides greater flexibility when choosing an educational pathway and makes it possible to better take each child’s linguistic background into account.

It also highlights an essential aspect of international mobility: school research should be anticipated just as carefully as the housing search, so that families can build a relocation project that works for everyone.

Sources: Luxembourg Ministry of Education, Children and Youth; Paperjam.