On Thursday 22 October 2026, Luxembourg's Ministry of Education, Children and Youth announced that the fifth edition of Democracy and Citizenship Week will take place from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026.
The ministry stated: "By providing spaces for reflection and participation at all levels of the education system, the Week helps prepare children and young people to become responsible citizens who actively contribute to strengthening democratic values."
Primary schools, secondary schools, maisons relais and childminders are invited to place the participation of children and young people at the heart of their activities.
The 2026 edition is held under the theme Meng Stëmm, Mäin Impakt! ("My Voice, My Impact!"). Raising awareness among children and young people of democratic principles and active citizenship involves giving their ideas a voice and showing them that they can genuinely contribute to changing their environment.
According to the ministry, the 2026 edition is the result of a collective initiative bringing together the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth, the Centre for School Psychology and Guidance (CePAS), the Zentrum fir politesch Bildung (ZpB), the National Youth Council of Luxembourg (Jugendrot), the National Student Conference of Luxembourg (CNEL) and the Kannermusée Plomm.
In secondary schools, student committee elections, organised every two years, are taking place from 19 to 30 October 2026. For more than 49,000 students, secondary school thus becomes a genuine place for learning about democracy: standing as a candidate in an election, reflecting on what they want to change in their school, discussing matters with other members of the school community and, finally, choosing the representatives who will speak on behalf of everyone.
Student committees represent the interests of secondary school pupils within their school communities. Each committee then selects members to form the National Student Conference of Luxembourg (CNEL), which represents students' interests at national level before the Minister of Education, Children and Youth. In primary education, some schools also organise elections or forms of student representation, including through school committees or the Kannergemengerot. From an early age, pupils can thus represent their peers and contribute to the life of their school.
The 2026 edition offers a varied programme for children, young people, education professionals and the general public.
On Monday 26 October, CePAS will organise a day dedicated to education professionals focusing on school bullying at Kinepolis Kirchberg. From 09:00 to 12:00, community psychologist Éric Verdier will explain the scapegoating mechanism and provide guidance on identifying warning signs and taking preventive action against bullying. From 13:00 to 16:30, teachers and educational and psychosocial staff will participate in a workshop focusing on practical responses to bullying situations. More information is available in the CePAS agenda.
On Tuesday 27 October, the fourth edition of the Meng Stëmm – Mäin Impakt conference will take place at Chalet Géisserei, focusing on "Weaving the Links of Participation: Connecting Children's Living Environments" (Participatioun verknëppen, Liewensräim vum Kand matenee verbanne). Education professionals will participate in workshops from 14:00, followed by a panel discussion open to the general public from 17:30. The conference is organised by the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth in partnership with the Zentrum fir politesch Bildung (ZpB) and the Kannermusée Plomm. More information is available in the ministry's agenda.
On Friday 6 November, around 60 pupils from cycles three and four of primary education, accompanied by professionals from their education and childcare services (SEA), will gather at Forum Geesseknäppchen for the participatory workshops Meng Stëmm am SEA. The workshops will focus on children's socio-emotional well-being within their maison relais or school childcare centres, allowing them to share their ideas, needs and experiences. Their reflections will then be forwarded to the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth to give recognition to and ensure that children's voices are heard. The event is not open to the general public.
According to the ministry, since its creation, Democracy and Citizenship Week has brought together education stakeholders around the common objective of making children's and young people's participation a reality in the places where they live, learn and grow. The fifth edition continues this approach by encouraging schools and education and childcare facilities to sustainably integrate participation into their daily practices, enabling children and young people to take part in decisions that concern them while fostering democratic values.
The full programme, along with information and educational resources, is available at www.demokratiewoch.lu.
