Verbal abuse is the style of assistant deputy director for secondary Aibhistín Ó Coimin when he talks with the parents. During online meetings, he screams, threatens, and abuses parents if they don’t agree with the school’s policy of discrimination against minorities.
Why is school administration so nervous
The reason is that they are mistreating SWALS pupils. Each year they make it harder to learn their mother tongue. They are reducing the number of hours of mother tongue, they are combining classes (for example for S7 and S6 or S1 and S2…). Despite repeated warnings from pedagogical staff that it is impossible to properly prepare students for BAC with fewer hours.
When parents complain they play dumb and pretend it’s a big surprise for them although the parents association warns them each year.
Also, it is against the rules set up by the Board of governors and it was pointed out to them by the Secretary-general of European schools, although he was the one who pushed with such action in the beginning until another parent from another European school last year requested action and informed responsible in European Institutions.
Mismanagement of public money?
Presenting reduced hours and combined classes for SWALS as a cost-saving measure, while simultaneously appointing another well-paid deputy director in all European schools, Mr. Marcheggiano seems to contradict his own efforts. These financial directors do not seem to contribute to improving the efficiency and accuracy of public spending, as evidenced by the Court of Auditors consistently providing a negative assessment each year. Furthermore, the European Commission is voting again on the discharge of yearly accounts.
Despite the concerns raised to the Office of the Secretary-general of European schools and the request for action from a parent in many European schools, the Board of governors has not taken adequate measures to address the mismanagement of public money. This is evident in the contradictory actions of appointing a well-paid deputy director while presenting cost-saving measures such as reduced hours and combined classes for SWALS. The presence of financial directors in European schools does not seem to have improved the efficiency and accuracy of public spending, as highlighted by the consistently negative assessment from the Court of Auditors. Additionally, the European Commission is once again voting on the discharge of yearly accounts, indicating ongoing concerns about financial accountability.
European school Luxembourg 2 had a budget of 30.618.711,00€ for the fiscal year 2020-2021 and cost per pupil 11.483,00€. This amount is in the middle range of other European schools.
European school Luxembourg 2 spent in 2020 23.335.379,00€ for Salaries (second staff, locally recruited teachers and education support. They spent only 823.362,00€ on educational support which is 2,67% of the whole budget.
Actual costs for extra teachers who could help improve mother tongue teaching for SWALS would cost around 40.000,00€. This should be feasible with such a huge budget.
The goal of European schools is to teach children in their mother tongue.
Despite that goal, the administration of Mamer school and Office of the Secretary-general are neglecting this important point and prefer to have bigger and more expensive administration then provide excellent education to all the pupils.
Public officials must remember that they serve the public and utilize public funds. Consequently, their actions are subject to public scrutiny.
Actual costs for extra teachers who could help improve mother tongue teaching for SWALS would cost around 40.000,00€. This should be feasible with such a huge budget. The goal of European schools is to teach children in their mother tongue. Despite that goal, the administration of Mamer school and Office of the Secretary-general are neglecting this important point and prefer to have bigger and more expensive administration than provide excellent education to all the pupils. They are forgetting that they are all public servants and are spending public money so whatever they do can be and has to be scrutinized publicly. Public officials must remember that they serve the public and utilize public funds. Consequently, their actions are subject to public scrutiny.
However, they are well aware of things that are wrong with the European school system and one of them is Secretary-General and directors not being accountable for their actions.
Yesterday, Giancarlo Marcheggiano resigned at an exceptional meeting of the Board of Governors. Board voted Andreas Beckmann as the new Secretary-General of the European school.
Hopefully, this appointment will bring fresh thinking and ideas to this rigid place and improve European schools.
Do you know what kind of personal data a European school, as a data collector, has about you and your children?
Do you feel that we have to repeatedly give them personal data? Even if they have this information already?
How are European schools treating and protecting our personal data?
Do they destroy them properly or just through them in the bin?
Why they have so many papers with our personal data in an unprotected cupboard around the whole school?
Do you know how to request your personal data from the school?
You can get all of this information below, where I write about how to request your personal data from European schools quickly.
Table of Contents
What is the right of access?
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), under Article 15, gives individuals the right to request a copy of any of their personal data which are being ‘processed’ (i.e. used in any way) by ‘controllers’ (i.e. European school), as well as other relevant information. These requests are often referred to as ‘data subject access requests or ‘access requests.
How do I exercise the right of access?
The GDPR does not set out any particular method for making a valid access request; therefore, an individual may make a request in writing or verbally. I would, however, encourage you to submit written access requests to avoid disputes over an access request’s details, extent, or timing. I have provided you with the template below for access requests made to the data protection office of each European school in writing.
Can I be charged a fee to make an access request?
No, for the standard case, as is this request. So, in most cases, individuals cannot be required to pay a fee to make a subject access request. Only in certain very limited circumstances, per Article 12(5) GDPR, where the initial request is ‘manifestly unfounded or excessive (which the controller must prove), can a controller charge a ‘reasonable fee for the administrative costs of complying with the request.
Controllers are also allowed to charge a reasonable fee, based on administrative costs, where an individual requests additional copies of their personal data undergoing processing. Anyway school has to legally prove that they had extra costs because of the request.
This is not the case in European schools since they can scan all the papers and send them to you by email.
Instead of having so much personal data on paper, they should use electronic data collecting. It would simplify their lives.
In what format should the information I request be provided?
Controllers should typically match the method or specific format requested by individuals when responding to access requests. For instance, if a request is made electronically, such as via email, controllers are generally expected to provide the necessary information in a commonly used electronic format, unless otherwise specified.
Controllers should adhere to the general rule of responding to access requests in the same format as the request was made or in the format specifically requested by the individual. When a request is made electronically, such as via email, controllers are typically expected to provide the required information in a commonly used electronic format, unless stated otherwise. This approach not only simplifies the process for individuals but also ensures that the information is delivered in a manner that is convenient and accessible to them.
Are there any limits to my right of access or GDPR request?
Legally yes, but there is a high threshold to meet, and the controller must prove that the request was manifestly unfounded or excessive, in particular, considering whether the request is repetitive.
How to request your personal data from the European school in 1 minute
Bellow you fill find template on how to request your personal data under GDPR for both schools:
GDPR template request for a copy of your personal information
Title of the email: Request for access to a personal data
Dear Ms / Mr,
Based on Article 15 of The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) I would like to request a copy of all the personal data European school Luxembourg (1 or 2) is collecting about my family:
Your last and first name
Your child’s last and first name
Your second child’s last and first name…
Can you please specify: 1. the purpose of the processing for each data collection, 2. the categories of data you are collecting about my family 3. any recipient(s) of the personal data to whom the personal data has or will be disclosed, in particular recipients in third countries or international organizations, and information about appropriate safeguards. 4. the retention period for each data and the criteria used to determine this retention period. Thank you and kind regards,
Your first and last name
When should DPO respond?
The GDPR request time limit is normally 30 days, but in exceptional circumstances, the deadline can be extended by 60 days. This extension is often used when the request is complex and requires considering the scope of the right of access to the General Rules of the European Schools, as well as coordinating with the DPO of the OSG. According to Article 12, Point 3 of the GDPR, we are notifying you that the processing and transmission of personal data will be extended by two months. It’s worth noting that this extension may be legally challenged if the personal data is easily extractable through an IT system. However, if the data is stored in physical form, such as paper documents in cupboards, manual searching would be necessary.
Then, you need to manually search through each individual paper, which increases the likelihood of missing some of them. The standard time limit for GDPR requests is typically 30 days, but it can be extended by an additional 60 days in exceptional circumstances. This extension is commonly applied when the request is complex and requires careful consideration of the scope of access rights outlined in the General Rules of the European Schools, as well as coordination with the Office of the School’s Data Protection Officer (DPO).
In conclusion data access request timeframe is 30 days but only in exceptional cases this can be extended for another 60 days.
When is the best time to send a request?
If you are like me and think that European schools’ administration is bureaucratic mammoth, focused only on themself and totally ignoring the education process that they are paid for with public money, then you should send requests from March till the end of May.
Of course, you can send it any time you like but based on legal timing, which is 90 days, they will need to provide an answer right before the school holidays. The main exercise with how to request your personal data is that school has to give you any information they are collecting about your and your children. There is a high probability that they are collection far more that they are required under the law.
If there are many requests, this might cause insensitive to finally move to digital data collection.
School director of European school Luxembourg 2 Per Frithiofson doesn’t want to share important information about school transport with parents. This breaks with a 68-year-old tradition and is based on the school director’s personal resentment.
Table of Contents
ATSEEE starts with enrollment
As each year in May, ATSEEE started with enrollment for school transport for the school year 2021-2022. All the parents, who are already using ATSEEE services, received an email with important information on enrolling their children for the next school year.
This practice dates back to 68 years, in the year 1953, when the first European school Luxembourg opened. The same year ATSEEE was created on 25.09.1953 and started working and organising school transport for European school. Such close collaboration between parents association and school administration allows ATSEEE to organise school transport efficiently and provides transport to as many children as possible.
As each year, both schools were asked to pass this information to all the parents in schools. European school Luxembourg 1 did it immediately, but European school Luxembourg 2 didn’t.
Per Frithiofson blocks informing parents
So he decided that the Word file ATSEEE prepared and already shared with their clients and Luxembourg 1 school cannot be shared with parents of Luxembourg 2 school. His reasoning is because the text might include personal data and the school can’t share this information without having a non-disclosure agreement with ATSEEE.
Per Frithiofson words are: I’m trying to keep an arm’s length distance to possible breaches of the GDPR. Every time we have been reported for such it is extremely time-consuming for the staff at school regardless of the outcome.
Basically, he’s blaming others for reporting illegal activities in the school he’s leading and doesn’t care about the fact that the school is still not ready for General Data Protection Regulation that was implemented on 25.05.2018.
The incriminating text is the follow
Dear parents,
Please be informed that enrolments for the school year 2021/2022 for the ATSEEE school buses (Lines 70 to 87) will start on Monday 03.05.2021 and will close on 01.06.2021.
Enrolment is only needed for lines 70 to 87. Based on the actual enrolments, the network is adapted every year. Please note that you have the opportunity to register for an existing line and/or you can request a new stop. Wherever possible, ATSEEE will do its best to satisfy the requests for new bus stops.
No enrollment is needed for lines 114 to 228B and the buses provided by the nearby Communes of Mamer and Bertrange.
And below are versions in French and German. At the end is the link to the ATSEEE website.
No personal data in text
As you can see, it includes zero personal data. Furthermore doesn’t request any personal data collection from the school.
It is interesting to see that the school director doesn’t allow informing parent about school transport for the next school year, while is willing to promote, many times, sailing trips where there are actual consequences (health and financial) for the school, parents and children when participants came back with COVID-19. I guess the school has a non-disclosure agreement with the club, too—especially not to disclose risks to the school’s community.
European school Luxembourg 1 shared the same document the same day. How is it possible that the school from the same system, with the same boss (secretary-general of European schools), with the same data protection officer and the data protection rules, had no problem sharing this document but for you, is unacceptable?
What is a vindictive person like?
A person described as vindictive is usually someone who holds a grudge and always tries to get back at people they think have wronged him somehow. Vindictive people retaliate against others for any insult or perceived slight. Vindictive people do not let things go, as is the case with the director of the European school.
The cause of Per Frithiofson’s resentment is my work on European School’s illegal personal data collection. He thinks he is being mistreated and wronged because of his incompetence to fix the GDPR problem.
The qualities of school director
Vindictive, resentful, juvenile, all these are not the qualities you would expect from a school director in a European school.
When relocating to Luxembourg, navigating the education system can feel overwhelming, especially due to the language barrier. However, there is good news. Luxembourg offers a variety of national and international schools where you can enrol your child. Specifically, European schools in Luxembourg deserve special attention.
These schools follow a European curriculum and provide multilingual education, making them a great option for expat families. Additionally, European schools in Luxembourg offer a diverse and inclusive learning environment, promoting cultural exchange and understanding. With their emphasis on European values and high academic standards, these schools ensure that students receive a well-rounded education that prepares them for a globalized world.
Table of Contents
The government runs most schools for free. Nearly every school in Luxembourg is a melting pot of German, French, Luxembourgish, and little English.
Below is a compilation of all the European schools in Luxembourg, including English-speaking schools, in case you are moving with your children to Luxembourg.
Please click here if you prefer to watch a video instead of reading it.
EUROPEAN SCHOOLS IN LUXEMBOURG
EUROPEAN SCHOOL LUXEMBOURG 1
The ESL1 is a private international school in Luxembourg founded in 1953 on the initiative of officials of the European Coal and Steel Community. Currently, Luxembourg 1 is located on the Kirchberg Plateau in Luxembourg City.
The first European Baccalaureate was held here in 1959. The qualification was recognized as fulfilling the basic entrance qualifications by all the member state universities.
Luxembourg 1 has a Francophone. Anglophone and German-speaking section and teach Irish. If your child speaks any of the following mother tongues or comes from these sections, they are automatically enrolled into Luxembourg 1:
Swedish
Spanish
Portuguese
Polish
Lithuanian
Latvian
Finnish
Estonian
Dutch
Bulgarian
ESL1 combines nursery, primary, and secondary education. Students can take classes in the above mother tongues. However, from the start of primary school, the curriculum introduces a second language; French, German, or English. The second language then becomes the teaching language of certain subjects.
The European School Luxembourg 2 is the second of two European Schools in Luxembourg. School opened in a phased manner, with only the nursery and primary cycles functioning between 2004 and 2012.
Luxembourg 2 also offers three cycles; nursery, primary, and secondary education. It also provides prominent French, German, and English sections. Just like ESL1, ESL2 also offers Irish.
Children are mainly taught in their mother tongue, except in exceptional cases. The second language is either English, German, or French, and a third language can be introduced gradually in secondary. To facilitate integration, ESL2 provides language support classes.
Given the high linguistic levels of graduates from this school, which is an attractive feature among many European universities, your child may not be required to take language entrance exams such as IELTS.
European School Luxembourg 2 prioritizes children whose mother tongue includes:
European Schools Luxembourg 1 and Luxembourg 2 have the same administrative structure, and pupils are usually directed to either of the two when they join the European Schools in Luxembourg. They both also follow the same curriculum, which ends with a European baccalaureate.
They give priority to your children if you are a European civil servant. However, application and enrollment are still open according to the seats available.
ENGLISH SCHOOLS IN LUXEMBOURG
ATHÉNÉE DE LUXEMBOURG
It is perhaps the most prestigious academic high school in Luxembourg. The school offers classes that lead to the International Baccalaureate. The program allows students with a splendid command of English to go through secondary studies focusing on sciences, art, and languages. Its international section has six subject groups, including mathematics, arts, societies, and literature.
St.George’s International School follows the Welsh and English curriculum with an A-Level study completion exam. It is a private European school in Luxembourg that teaches English. If your child’s mother tongue is not English, they can receive tutoring in their early years until they get to the required level. French and other languages such as German are also taught in pre-school.
DIFFERDANGE & ESCH-SUR-ALZETTE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
It is a public school that offers both secondary and primary education. The school operates according to the European Schools system and teaches based on the European Systems programs. Your kids here will have a wide choice of languages. You can select a language as early as the first year of primary education. The school offers English, French, and German.
The school is open to students from all nationalities globally. It teaches English, French, and German. The school is divided into two establishments; the upper and lower school. Its curriculum culminates in the International Baccalaureate. Luckily, the school provides language tutoring for kids whose mother tongue is not English.
The international section of this establishment follows the European School of System. The school is open to all students with zero registration fees. It offers primary classes from age 6 to 11 and secondary classes from age 12.
It offers English and German-speaking classes that comply with the International Baccalaureate system.
It offers students an equivalent of Luxembourg’s ESC diploma. The school teaches classes in German, French, and English, depending on the student’s choice. Moreover, it is a state school, meaning it provides both secondary and primary education free of charge. The school also teaches Luxembourgish and follows individual learning plans instead of grade retention.
It is a state-funded secondary institution with an international English language stream. The school teaches an international English-medium curriculum throughout the school leading to GCSE qualifications and GCE A Levels.
It has a primary school with core subjects in mathematics, sciences, and English. The school also teaches German, French, and Luxembourgish.
International Baccalaureate OTR School is also an authorized IB Middle Years Programme school. The school promotes language learning, math, and science knowledge. It also promotes the acquisition of digital skills and general culture.
All Accredited European Schools in Luxembourg Following the European Baccalaureate Curriculum
In a nutshell, below is a list of all schools in Luxembourg that follow the European Baccalaureate Curriculum:
Mondorf-les-Bains international school. It has German, English, and French sections at the secondary and primary levels. Website
European International School in Differdange and Esch-sur-Alzette. It also provides German, English and French education at secondary and primary levels. Website
European School Edward Steichen in Clervaux. It has German, English, and French-speaking sections in secondary education. Website
International School in Junglinster or Lënster Lycée. It has an English and German section in kindergarten, primary, and secondary. Website
International school Mersch Anne Beffort. It has German, English, and French-speaking sections in secondary education. Website
Gaston Thorn International School. It will open on 15. eptember 2022. It will have German, English, and French-speaking sections in primary (P1 and P2) and secondary (S1 and S2) education The primary school will be set up in Cessange (rue Verte) in a building integrating both the school and the foyer scolaire. The secondary will be located in the “Blumm” building on the Geesseknäppchen Campus in Merl and will share this building with the National School for Adults. Website
TIPS FOR ENROLLING YOUR CHILD IN AN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
A great international school should have excellent support systems and staff. Support staff are available to aid students in need and work collaboratively with teachers, parents and students to develop programs that meet the individual needs of each student.
Check for a slot and apply as early as possible. Unfortunately, slots in international or European schools in Luxembourg are usually limited. An entrance exam or the study of a school file is mostly mandatory to allow your child to change schools during school attendance.
Therefore, ensure you check with the school months before directly or via their website to get the dates for registration and submission or registration forms. Moreover, it would help if you asked around fellow parents to recommend the best institution for your child’s education needs.
We use cookies to optimize our website and our service. We believe your data is your property and support your right to privacy and transparency.
Please select a data access leve how we use and share your data.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
