Disclaimer
The following article is an opinion piece by the respective author and does not necessarily reflect the position of the FOKUS. party. We stand for diversity of discussion and therefore consider it important to give other opinions the space they deserve.
When school becomes a scene of violence
Recently, there have been repeated incidents of violence among pupils.
According to the Ministry of Education, a total of 312 pupils were expelled from school in the 2024/2025 school year alone, with acts of violence being one of the most common reasons. This shows a clear, multi-year upward trend in disciplinary and violent incidents.
Teachers feel let down and experience a growing sense of powerlessness as decisions by disciplinary boards are increasingly overturned. In the current school year, 50% of the exclusions contested before the appeal bodies were overturned. So there are no lasting consequences and the same people return unchanged after a short time. This creates the impression that rules are being issued but not actually enforced. This not only undermines the authority of the teaching staff and the school, it also creates a feeling of insecurity among the students.
At the same time, a lot of time is invested in prestige projects such as ALPHA, unisex toilets and new curricula, and these receive a lot of attention. Symbolic measures are being driven forward with great commitment.
However, key issues such as violence prevention are falling behind. Although violent crimes among young people are declining in some areas, armed assaults by minors increased again in 2024 – from 22.9% to 27.8% of all such crimes.
All of this is fraying the nerves of teachers and pupils. Teachers are losing their strength.
What used to be a vocation for teachers now feels like a struggle for people in the education sector. There are fewer and fewer people entering the profession and those who are still there are asking themselves: “How much longer can I keep this up?” Or they are leaving the teaching profession because the personal or idealistic values have been lost.
Many pupils are increasingly losing hope and direction. Their frustration builds up, which often takes the form of aggression towards classmates and teachers. Raising the compulsory schooling age from 16 to 18 would certainly benefit everyone. It would certainly act like an educational wellness program and ease the situation.
When pedagogy fails and only bars remain.
However, reality brings another bitter realization.
If an offense ends in bodily harm, as happened recently, the young person should actually be taken to the appropriate facility.
It has been known since 2022 that the institution in Dreiborn, which was actually intended for this purpose, is overloaded. And while Dreiborn waits for its protégé, he was able to get to know the aesthetics of the penal system. Why go over pedagogical concepts when there are walls and bars? A conversion of the institution in Dreiborn is being planned, but not until 2027. There are also plans for a closed facility on the existing site. However, this cannot go into operation until 2030 at the earliest.
Even if this is only a short-term measure, it is shameful and dangerous for a prosperous country like Luxembourg.
Various studies point out the possible consequences of such interventions. Young people who are then placed in a normal prison environment without educational support have a greater risk of reoffending. International research shows that measures involving deprivation of liberty without socio-educational support can massively jeopardize educational pathways and cause long-term psychological damage.
The system is failing – period.
A decaying school system cannot be patched up with symbolic politics and warm words. It is almost grotesque that we talk about the protection of children and young people, but demolish the hopes of children, young people and teachers through inconsistent action.
