Democracy & Citizenship Week Returns to Luxembourg Secondary Schools

The second edition of Democracy and Citizenship Week (Semaine de la démocratie et de la citoyenneté) will take place in Luxembourg secondary schools from Monday 23 to Friday 27 October 2023.

According to Luxembourg's Ministry of Education, Children and Youth, this initiative offers a unique platform to promote youth participation and strengthen democracy within secondary education establishments in Luxembourg. A varied programme of activities will take place across the Grand Duchy to give secondary school students the opportunity to actively engage in building a dynamic and inclusive school community.

The Democracy and Citizenship Week's various events are designed to encourage young people's participation and contribute to a democratic school culture. On Tuesday 24 October, for example, two conferences are planned: the first is devoted to student participation in primary education, while the second will address the topic of "building civic schools" with Bruno Derbaix, an expert in active citizenship education.

The next day, on Wednesday 25 October, the Zentrum fir politesch Bildung (ZpB) will present the "Engagementspräis" (engagement prize) 2022-2023 which aims to encourage students to get actively involved in their school and more broadly in society, but also to develop their personal, social and democratic skills.

On Thursday 26 October, several education and prevention professionals will discuss mobbing during two round tables at Lycée Nic-Biever in Dudelange; one round table will take place during the day and is aimed at students, while the second is planned for parents that evening.

Launched in 2022, Democracy and Citizenship Week is organised each year in secondary schools by a steering committee composed of representatives of the Psychosocial and Scholastic Assistance Centre (Centre psycho-social et d'accompagnement scolaire - CePAS), the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth, the ZpB, the National Youth Council of Luxembourg (de Jugendrot) and the national students' conference (Conférence Nationale des Élèves du Luxembourg - CNEL).

Student committee elections take place every two years and the next committees will be elected in October 2024. Until then, the first National Student Committees Forum will bring together all the student committees of secondary schools across the country at the Forum Geesseknäppchen in Luxembourg-Merl on Tuesday 5 December 2023.