Thematic report: The role of education in preparing children and young people for the challenges of the 21st century

The report is written in German under the title “Die Rolle des Bildungssystems bei der Vorbereitung der Kinder und Jugendlichen auf die Herausforderungen des 21. Jahrhunderts” and includes an executive summary in English.

To what extent does the Luxembourg education system need to be reshaped in order to enable pupils to act actively, competently, and responsibly in an increasingly complex world? This is the question addressed by the thematic report.

Based on an extensive review of the literature as well as a survey of teachers and other actors within the education system, the publication provides an overview of current teaching culture in Luxembourg.

The analysis of the report is structured around four areas:

1. the promotion of 21st-century key competencies and the curriculum reform this entails,
2. the further development of teaching and assessment approaches towards more individualised practices that place greater emphasis on pupils’ active participation and responsibility, cooperative learning, and formative assessment,
3. the pedagogical integration of digital technologies and artificial intelligence,
4. the role and support of teachers within a changing education system.

On the basis of the report findings, the OEJQS formulates a total of ten recommendations across these four areas.

The report shows that the Luxembourg education system already has important foundations for a 21st-century school, but that there are also reservations among teachers.

In order both to harness this potential and to reduce existing concerns, a coherent and systemic transformation is required – one that is supported by scientific evidence and practical experience and jointly carried forward by political decision-makers and school-level actors.