Part-time vocational school in Luxembourg
School based training is organised according to the nationally fixed curricula and assessment frameworks. VET-teacher candidates do have to comply with specific qualification requirements and do have to follow a three-year induction phase. The Training Institute of National Education (Institut de formation de l’éducation nationale, IFEN) created in 2015 is responsible for the organisation of the induction phase as well as for the continuous professional development of VET teachers.
Public schools and training centres are bound to comply with the curricula and assessment framework fixed at national level by the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth (MENJE). However, technical secondary schools have restricted autonomy in adapting the curricula framework to their specific needs in the frame of 10% of the total duration of a specific VET programme. All adaptations must be authorised in advance by the Council of Education (Conseil d’éducation) on the basis of the approval of the Minister of Education, Children and Youth. Private schools must respect the official curricula and assessment frameworks of the MENJE if they want to be eligible for governmental funding.
VET programmes also contain a general education part composed of language and civic education courses as well as physical education courses for full-time VET programmes. The curricula framework of the general education modules is elaborated and fixed by the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth.
Future VET teachers are recruited according to the conditions of the public agent career and have to be in possession of a Master craftsperson certificate, a Bachelor or Master’s degree in a specific course of study. Subsequently, they have to take initial teacher education courses in the frame of a three-year induction phase. The induction phase consists of a pedagogical training, a probationary period and an application period. The induction phase is followed by a mandatory continuous professional development phase, allowing teachers to further develop their competences. The Training Institute of National Education (Institut de formation de l’éducation nationale, IFEN), created by a law on the 30th July 2015, is responsible for organising the induction phase as well as the continuous professional development of all public teachers in primary and secondary education. As of September 2016, adult trainers in VET are recruited and trained according to the same procedure as initial VET teachers.
A growing number of VET teachers is also recruited under the status of state employees with permanent contracts. Until now, their qualification and training requirements differ and are less exigent than those of the public agents. However, the law of the 30th July 2015 tends at progressively harmonising the status and requirements for both careers.