Does the international community face problems in terms of the state education system in Luxembourg? Although improvements have been made, and will continue to be, legitimate alter­natives are required going forward. “In many ways, the state education system is welcoming to foreign students,” says Heather Duxbury, head teacher of the primary section of St. George’s International School. “That said, it can be a tall order to deal with the linguistic requirements, and it can be very off-putting to families, especially those who will only be here for a comparatively short time. This becomes even more difficult the older the children are. But the local institutions have become more developed as the international population has grown greatly.” 

This growth led to a forecast, in 2007, that there would be a shortfall of 2,000 to 4,400 in places in English-medium international schools in Luxembourg by 2009. Has the prediction come to pass? “There is a definite stress on English-language

facilities,” remarks secondary school head teacher Nigel Fossey, “but perhaps it has been alleviated somewhat by the financial crisis. That range is a close match though.” Shortfall or not, Fossey insists that St. George’s will always maintain a small school ethos, as it sets itself a target of 750 to 800 students within the next five years, up from 450 today.

Underestimated?

The total would place St George’s roughly on a par with the current total at the International School of Luxembourg (ISL) in terms of places filled, as well as tuition fees payable. Does this create a situation of rivalry? “I consider us to be different,” says Duxbury. “In every market there needs to be different choices and that’s how I consider the relationship between the two.” Fossey adds “I also believe that to be a very positive step for Luxembourg. In terms of an English language education, this country now has choice: the International Baccalaureate (and the European Baccalaureate from the European School – Ed.) and the new A-Level programme we have here.”

St. George’s follows the British National Curriculum, although both Fossey and Duxbury are at pains to emphasise it takes into account all nationalities and levels of ability. So is it difficult to place the school in a Luxembourgish context? “As we become better known, I think Luxembourgish families may view this school as a better preparation for applying to universities in the UK. As it is, we have some young children from Luxembourgish families,” says Duxbury.

The school is unique in this country as it is the only one to offer A-Levels, and one could wonder whether that renders it somewhat isolated in its relationships with other educational establishments. “We haven’t had much contact so far,” admits Fossey, “but we are extending the hand of friendship to schools around Luxembourg.” Is the school insular? “Not at all. In fact, we are going to introduce Luxembourgish language lessons in the secondary and upper-primary, while we are also establishing links with Luxembourgish companies and the Ministry of Education.”

So far, the successes achieved have been through word-of-mouth more than anything else, as international employees in Luxembourg, familiar with the vagaries of spending a few years in one country, then in another, seek the education that will least disrupt the progress already made by their children. “We can certainly make a contribution to this country’s economy, absolutely,” insists Fossey. “Multinationals setting up in Luxembourg will know there are sufficient educational institutions to cater to their employees’ needs, and it improves the image of the country. You cannot underestimate the power of having a couple of schools with excellent reputations.”

In addition to that, he envisages a situation whereby native people, prepared for an English-language education and qualified from English-medium universities, will bring their skills back to Luxembourg, boosting the pool of talent already here. The multinationals are beginning to find

St. George’s. Now, it is looking to find others in return.