Safeguarding international schools in Luxembourg: country guide

The Ministry of Education, Children and Youth oversees all schools. Private schools need its approval to open and run.

Luxembourg has state international schools, European Schools and private international schools. Each type has a slightly different link to the ministry. Ask your Head of School which rules apply to you.

Many schools also hold CIS, IB or COBIS approval. Read how ITFCP international child protection standards fit with national law.

International schools in Luxembourg often operate under international accreditation frameworks like CIS or the International Baccalaureate. These external standards must align with Luxembourg child welfare regulations and ministry guidelines.

The Code of Criminal Procedure says public officials who learn of a crime must tell the State Prosecutor. The Prosecutor's office has a youth protection section that handles cases about children.

Staff at private schools may not be public officials. Even so, the safe practice is to follow the same route. Report suspected crimes against a child to the Prosecutor or the police without delay.

For concerns that are not a crime, the National Office for Children can arrange help for the family. Compare this rule with other countries in mandatory reporting laws for international schools.

If a child is in danger now, call the police on 113 or dial 112. Then follow your school plan and tell your DSL and Head the same day.

When serious allegations concern an educator or school leader, follow strict whistleblowing procedures and inform the school governing board immediately.

• 113: police, open all day and night.
• 112: ambulance and fire service.
• 116 111: Kanner-Jugendtelefon, the free helpline for children and teens.
• The ONE: support and care for children and families.

Luxembourg is a multilingual country where students regularly speak Luxembourgish, French, German and English. A pupil disclosing distress may switch between languages while speaking.

Staff should receive disclosures patiently and avoid correcting the child's grammar or vocabulary. Note down words exactly as spoken to ensure an accurate record for statutory authorities.

If an interpreter is required for communication with parents or child welfare agencies, use professional services rather than other students or family members.

• Active listening: Give the child time to express their thoughts without interruption.
• Objective notes: Document verbatim quotes, dates, physical signs and visible emotions.
• No promises of secrecy: Explain that information will be shared only with those who need to know.
• Immediate reporting: Hand the written record to the designated safeguarding lead without delay.

Schools ask new hires for an extract from the Luxembourg criminal record. A special extract exists for work with children. It shows crimes that bar a person from that work.

The specialised extract for child protection in Luxembourg is Bulletin No 5 of the Casier Judiciaire. It confirms whether an individual has court convictions relating to offences against minors or restrictions on working with children.

Ensure that international candidates provide verified police clearance certificates from their home countries and previous countries of residence. Cross-reference employment gaps and verify past professional references.

Most staff in Luxembourg come from abroad, so collect police checks from every country they lived in. Call each referee and log each check on your Single Central Record. See safer recruitment for international schools.

Luxembourg applies the EU GDPR and its own 2018 data law. The regulator is the National Commission for Data Protection.

A report to the Prosecutor meets a legal duty, which is a lawful basis under GDPR. Limit access to the DSL, deputy and Head.

Child protection files must be stored separately from general academic records in secure, role-restricted systems. Only authorized safeguarding personnel should possess access credentials to confidential student files.

Staff speak many languages here, so train support and office teams in the language they use most. Read why localised staff training matters.

This guide gives general information checked on 11 November 2026. It is not legal advice. Work through these steps in your first term with your Head and a Luxembourg lawyer.

• Find the contact for the youth protection section at the Prosecutor's office.
• Check that your policy names who reports and how fast.
• Add the criminal record extract for work with children to your hiring checklist.
• Post 116 111, 113 and 112 in French, German and English around the school.