Type International Slogan "United in diversity" Number of students 2,200 | Established 2012 Motto "United in diversity" Founded 2012 | |
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President Emilia Bonniot (S7FRA, French Section) Director Per Frithiofson (Denmark) Student Union/Association the Puppils' Committee of Mamer - LUX2 (PC) Sister school European School, Luxembourg | ||
The European School of Luxembourg II, commonly known as ESL is a European school in the communes of Bertrange and Mamer in Luxembourg.
Contents
The current Director of the European School Luxembourg II is Per Frithiofson (Denmark), who replaced Émmanuel de Tournemire (France), Director during the period 2010-2016.
Even after the separation in 2012, both schools are still considered by many students and local residents as one. Mamer and Kirchberg are working hardly to preserve the connection and unity of both schools, mostly for the Secondary students.
ESL is nowadays divided into two autonomous organisms: ESL2 & ESL1 (which is located in the capital Luxembourg-City, in the quarter of Kirchberg which is about 11 km away from LUX2).
Despite the separation with ESL1, both entities still share a narrow cooperation in important subjects such as official trips (essentially travels for both schools ambassadors to Brussels), events or even the Pupils' committees budgets.
History
It was created after the European School of Luxembourg I became overcrowded. It was formally opened in 2004. Between 2004 and 2012 the Luxembourg II school consisted only of nursery and primary cycles. The secondary cycle was activated only at the Luxembourg I school. The nursery classes were hosted in the same building of the nursery classes of the Luxembourg I school in Luxembourg-Kirchberg, while the primary cycle was located in temporary prefabricated buildings (so called "Village Pédagogique"), also in Luxembourg-Kirchberg.
Construction on the current European school II campus began in 2009. This new campus was opened in 2012 on the border of the neighbouring communes of Bertrange and Mamer. By September of that year the school had 2,047 students. In June 2012 some parents were scheduled to hold a protest against the students having a long commute time to the new campus, and this protest was scheduled to travel from Kirchberg to the new campus.
By June 2013 the school had over 2,000 students and 300 employees. In 2013 the school held a one-year anniversary for its campus with a hot air balloon launch.
Beginning with the current campus's opening in 2012 the school's canteen sells fair trade products; in 2015 the school signed an agreement to sell fair trade products and to make others aware about fair trade, making it the thirteenth secondary school in Luxembourg to do so.
In 2014 the Luxembourgish government signed an agreement for the European Schools to accept 100 more students in their English and French sections.
Campus
The campus, with a capacity of 3,000 students, has a total of six buildings. It has five sport halls and two swimming pools, with at least one of the pools being 75 metres (246 ft) long. The administrative building houses the 75 metre pool, conference rooms, cafeterias, a dining hall, and examination rooms. The campus also houses a "children's hall" that includes a study area, a day care, and a crèche (preschool). A bus stop is on the campus site.
Reputation
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.
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).
Despite the very good academic results, the school (both LUX1 & LUX2) is considered, culturally speaking, as being very different of the rest of schools in Luxembourg-city and even in the entire country. There has been many criticism towards ESL students by different luxembourguish sectors, regarding the integration of those students in the everyday life of the country or even in the ability of speaking luxembourguish. The luxembourguish language is not being taught in European Schools due to the simple fact that it is not official in the European Union.
Transport
The Mamer Lycée railway station serves the school. In 2013 some parents at the school expressed concern with the speeds of some of the trains.
In September 2012 a traffic bypass to the European School II opened, and a flyover between Bertrange and Mamer, one that would connect the school with N6, was scheduled to open on September 2, 2013.
In 2013 parents reported having to pay 100 extra euros per child for the monthly school bus fee because the Luxembourg government did not provide a promised subsidy for students with private sector-employed parents that would offset transport expenses.
Students bodies: PC & Bac Com
Both ESL2 and ESL1 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 ESL2 and ESL1 (for example, like describing Mamer and Kirchberg 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 Puppils' 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 oficial ESL2 internet page: www.pupilscom-mamer.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 Puppils'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 ESL1 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 the organisation of the event).
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 :
Structure
The school educates pupils speaking the following language as mother tongue/dominant language:
A current controversy at the European School Luxembourg II is the treatment of the SWALS (Students without a Language Section; currently the Maltese, Romanian, Slovak, and Slovenian students) starting in sixth grade (first grade of secondaire in the French system). These students are placed in the English, French, or German section starting in the first grade, but starting with the sixth grade they are asked to take that language as a second language.