L-R: Sonja Ugen, LUCET research scientist; Claude Meisch, Education Minister; HRH the Grand Duchess; Alex Kockhans, CDA Director; Philippe Majerus, Fondation du Grand-Duc et de la Grand-Duchess Director; Diane Marx, CDA Deputy Director;
Credit: Maison du Grand-Duc / Sophie Margue
On Thursday 11 March 2021, Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess and Luxembourg's Minister of Education, Children and Youth, Claude Meisch, visited the Grand Duchess Maria Teresa learning development centre (Centre pour le développement des apprentissages Grande-Duchesse Maria Teresa - CDA) in Strassen.
During an exchange, representatives of the CDA and the Luxembourg Centre for Educational Testing (LUCET) of the University of Luxembourg presented the reference guide “Lernstörungen im multilingualen Kontext: Diagnose und Hilfestellungen” (learning disorders in a multilingual context: diagnosis and assistance) to Grand Duchess Maria Teresa. They also discussed the guide's follow-up, namely a series of continuing training courses as well as a second collaborative project: the development, standardisation and validation of standardised diagnostic tools adapted to the Luxembourg context. Back in 2016, the Dysforum, organised under the high patronage of the Grand Duchess, had in part revealed the need for such tests for actors in the field.
Emphasis was also placed on the operation of the CDA in the current pandemic conditions, the growing offer of continuing education on learning disabilities and the centre's involvement in the training of adult students. The Grand Duchess expressed gratitude, on behalf of teachers and parents, to the Education Minister and the representatives of the CDA.
The CDA staff took the opportunity to give an overview of their daily missions and tasks to the Grand Duchess and the Education Minister. They first presented their visitors with a speech therapy session. During an individual supervision focussed on reading, speech therapists can use their expertise in the diagnosis of possible dyslexia.
They then attended an extracurricular group whose goal is to learn keyboard typing. Students enrolled in this group benefit from reasonable accommodation allowing them to use an iPad in class, provided by the CDA.
Finally, the Grand Duchess and Minister Claude Meisch visited the CDA documentation centre with its many scientific works, didactic programmes and standardised tests.
