On Tuesday 28 January 2025, Luxembourg’s Ministries of Education, Children and Youth, and of Gender Equality and Diversity announced that the diversity of sexes, gender identities and sexual orientations is a reality, both in Luxembourg society and schools, and that recognising and being informed about this diversity is fundamental to building a democratic, respectful and open-minded society.
According to the ministries, the mission of Luxembourg schools is to educate children from a young age to respect, tolerate and live together in a plural society. As a mirror of society, schools must also address major societal issues that can generate daily questions among children and young people, promote understanding and enable children to form their own opinions.
The press release added that schools are also required to respect international conventions and commitments in favour of human rights, which include the fight against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It confirmed that Luxembourg supports the resolutions of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations (UN). As a member of the European Union (EU), Luxembourg is implementing the LGBTIQ+ strategy 2020-2025, which aims to guarantee equality and the protection of LGBTIQ+ rights. The country is also committed to following the recommendations of the Council of Europe in the fight against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
According to the ministries, the scale of the debate raised by two petitions, recently discussed in the Chamber of Deputies, relating to the presence of LGBTIQ+ themes at school, confirms the importance of addressing the differences between the sexes, gender identities and sexual orientations.
The ministries noted that in Luxembourg sexual and emotional education has its place in primary and secondary education. In addition to the biological aspect based on scientific knowledge of human sexuality, schools also address sexuality in its human aspect, which highlights the emotional, affective and social factors. Tolerance and respect for diversity are addressed in several disciplines throughout the school curriculum, in particular in the discipline “Life and Society”, which addresses themes such as sexuality, sexual ethics, sexual identity and gender diversity, etc. It added that teaching materials are available to teachers to enable them answer questions from students at different class levels.
The ministries emphasised that by addressing the differences between the sexes, gender identities and sexual orientations in an objective and neutral manner and in a manner adapted to the students' age and maturity, schools promote understanding of the different dimensions of the LGBTIQ+ theme. Schools therefore contribute to training enlightened and tolerant citizens, capable of living and interacting in a plural world.
The coalition agreement provides, among other things, for the adaptation of the LGBTIQ+ NAP under the aegis of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Diversity, which will also include a chapter on strengthening LGBTIQ+ topics in the Luxembourg education system.
