European School of Luxembourg I

European School, Luxembourg I
École Européenne, Luxembourg I
Schola Europaea, Luxemburgum I
Address
European School, Luxembourg I
23 Boulevard Konrad Adenauer
Kirchberg, Luxembourg City, L-1115
Luxembourg
Coordinates 49°37′38″N 6°09′11″E / 49.627222°N 6.153056°E / 49.627222; 6.153056
Information
Type European School
Established 4 October 1953, by employees of the ECSC
Category Nursery, Primary and Secondary Education
Director Panayota Vassilacou
Gender Mixed
Enrolment 3,260 (2016-2017)
Student Union/Association The Pupils' Committee
Accreditation European Baccalaureate
Sister Schools 13 European Schools
Website http://www.euroschool.lu/

The European School, Luxembourg I is the oldest of the 14 European Schools, founded on 4 October 1953 on the initiative of officials of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) - the forerunner of today's European Union (EU). In April 1957, the governments of the six founding states of the ECSC signed the 1957 Statute of the European School, transforming the initiative into an intergovernmental affair.

Since 2000, the school has been located in the Kirchberg district of Luxembourg City, in close proximity to the Court of Justice of the European Union and other EU bodies. In 2004, ever increasing demand for school places saw the phased introduction of a second European School in Luxembourg, with its new campus opening in Mamer in September 2012.

History

Primary School buildings on the far side of Kirchberg Lake

Establishment

Following the establishment of the institutions of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in Luxembourg, in 1952, it became apparent that it was necessary to provide an education to the children of the officials of those institutions in their mother tongues. The lack of such provisions posed challenges in building an administration that reflected the diverse makeup of the ECSC's six founding member states, discouraging potential employees who heralded from outside the jurisdiction in which the institutions were based from relocating with their families. Employees of the ECSC established an association, financed by the High Authority of the ECSC, for the purpose of founding a school in Luxembourg providing nursery and primary education to the children of the institutions' officials. The school opened on 4 October 1953 on the site of a former furniture store on Avenue Pasteur, in the Limpertsberg district of Luxembourg City.

However, by the spring of 1954, it was clear that the solution was inadequate, with the school unable to provide a secondary education to its enrolees. The President of the High Authority of the ECSC, Jean Monnet, invited representatives of the education ministers of the six founding member states of the ECSC to Luxembourg for discussions on a school with intergovernmental status, with a new secondary leaving qualification – the European Baccalaureate. It was agreed that teaching staff would be seconded from the member states, who would continue to pay their salary, and that salaries would be harmonised by means of an additional supplement. On 12 October 1954, the first two years of the secondary school opened, located in a villa in Bertrange rented from a jam manufacturer.

On 12 April 1957, the governments of the six ECSC member states signed, and later subsequently ratified, the Statute of the European School, which took the form of an international treaty. Under Article 6 of the Statute, the European School was to have the status of a public institution in the law of each of the contracting parties and was to have legal personality to the extent requisite for the attainment of its objectives. It would be administered by a Board of Governors consisting of the "Minister or Ministers of each contracting party whose responsibilities include national education and/or external cultural relations".

On 5 July 1956, having outgrown its premises for the second time, construction began on a new building on Boulevard de la Foire. The mission statement of the school, penned in Latin by Marcel Decombis, a member of Jean Monnet's cabinet, was buried next to its foundation stone. In English it translates as;

In this school building children from Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, and from other countries which are interested in the construction of a unified Europe, will assemble from their early childhood to the time of their university … Educated side by side, untroubled from infancy by divisive prejudices, acquainted with all that is great and good in the different cultures, it will be borne in on them as they mature that they belong together. Without ceasing to look to their own lands with love and pride, they will become in mind Europeans, schooled and ready to complete and consolidate the work of their fathers before them, to bring into being a united and thriving Europe.

The building was inaugurated on 11 December 1957 by Grand Duchess Charlotte, with the education ministers of the six founding ECSC states in attendance.

Kirchberg

In 1971, it was decided to open a separate campus for the nursery and primary sections on Boulevard Konrad Adenauer, on the Kirchberg-plateau, in close proximity to the European Court of Justice. However, the new buildings could not cope with the demand for school places following the enlargement of the European Communities, and the obligation to provide an education to its institutions' officials. In 1980, the 5th year of the primary school returned to Boulevard de la Foire, with the 3rd and 4th years following in 1985. In December 1987, the Board of Governors of the European Schools made a request to the Luxembourg government for additional buildings, with the government agreeing in October 1988 on a plan that would involve the phased closure of the Boulevard de la Foire campus in conjunction with the construction extension and construction of the Kirchberg buildings. A new nursery building was opened on Kirchberg in 1993. In July 1998, work started on the new primary and secondary school buildings, a long with a new canteen and theatre, with the buildings inaugurated on 9 May 2000.

However, in 2004, following the "Big Bang" enlargement of the EU from 15 to 25 states, it was decided to meet increased demand for school places with the phased introduction of a second European School in Luxembourg. The European School, Luxembourg II largely existed for administrative purposes only until 2012, when it relocated to its own purpose built campus on the border of the neighbouring communes of Bertrange and Mamer.

Reputation

2015-2016 ESL Identity Card. School IDs are compulsory to all students

Academically, ESL maintains a reputation as one of the strongest schools in Luxembourg. Many of its students go on to study at leading European universities; most of the English section students and a significant minority of students from the other language sections apply to British institutions. Typically, two or three students in each year will acquire places at Oxbridge colleges, although recent figures suggest this is likely to increase.[1]

The school is known for high standards in languages; the European Baccalaureate requires students to study many subjects in their second or third languages. Students also benefit from the international environment provided by the school's segregation into English, German, French, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Finnish and Polish language sections. Participation in the Model European Parliament, the European Schools Science Symposium and the Eurosport Championship, as well as a number of other recreational projects, allows students to excel in other areas.

According to the 2006 OECD PISA academic study, ESL surpassed the score attained by the leading participant countries (i.e. Taiwan, South Korea, Finland).

Students bodies: PC & Bac Com

Official logo of the Pupils' Committee of ESL (PC)

As of 2013 the secondary school had 2,715 students.[2] Both schools share the same students organisations.

There are 2 student bodies in ESL: the Pupils' Committee (PC) and the Baccalaureate Committee (Bac Com).

The Pupils' Committee (PC) seeks to represent the interests of the students of their European School whilst operating in accordance with the aims of the European Schools as expressed in the words of Jean Monnet and since the separation of both schools, it aims to keep the best relation possible between students of ESL1 and ESL2 (for example, like describing Kirchberg and Mamer as "1 School, 1 interest" despite the distance between them).

A non-profit organisation, democratically elected, independent and recognized by the school community, the Luxembourguish government and the different official bodies of the European Schools.

The candidates for integrating the PC are elected by the secondary school representative pupils who will represent all the different classes and the pupils interests throughout the year. Each Pupils' Committee has at least 20 members. The PC is working as a school government, providing help and information to the students. The Pupils' committee of both schools have a very good reputation making events, such as the "16+ Parties", well known among teenagers in Luxembourg-City. The PC is formed by the following sections (commonly called "Departments" by the students) :


It has its own website, apart from the official ESL1 internet page: pupilscom-esl1.eu

The Baccalaureate Committee, most commonly known as Bac Com or Bac Committee is the second student representation body in ESL. The Bac Com seeks to represent the interest and the will of the 7th years (senior year) only; in contrast with the PC, which seeks to represent all the students, regardless of their grades. Both bodies are completely autonomous from each other, despite many common aspects between the Pupils' Committee and the baccalaureate committee. As for the PC, the Bac Com is also a non-profit organisation, democratically elected by only the 7th year classes representatives, independent and recognized by the school community. Except for the "Bal du Bac" "Bac party" and "Senior Camping", all events are shared and done with the cooperation of the ESL2 Bac Com.

Even if both committees are completely separated from each other, it is very common for them to work together, mainly in the creation of events in both schools (e.g. with the ESL talent show "Lux-factor" where both entities work closely in its organisation).

The Bac Committee is responsible for the creation of many ceremonies and events, exclusively reserved for 7th years such as: the Prebac Party, the Bac party, the senior camping and the famous Bal du Bac (held in the afternoon after the Proclamation ceremony).

Elections are held every year. This student body is formed by 4 sectors and has, depending on the year, between 9 and 10 members :

Current headmistress

The current head of the European School of Luxembourg is Panayota Vassilacou, previously head of the European School, Brussels III.[3]

Notable former students

References

  1. ↑ "Report on the European Baccalaureate" (PDF). University of Cambridge. 2009. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
  2. ↑ "European school thanks Luxembourg for 60 great years". Luxemburger Wort. 2013-04-08. Archived from the original on 2016-05-30. Retrieved 2016-05-31. ()
  3. ↑ "Schola Europaea". EURSC. Retrieved 2009-01-26.

Coordinates: 49°37′39″N 6°9′19″E / 49.62750°N 6.15528°E / 49.62750; 6.15528

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