Project Alpha starts from September 2026 nationwide in the cycle 1.2
In September 2022, the French literacy project « Alpha – Insurance Wuessen » started in four primary schools. The project is now to be generalized nationally. The nationwide introduction initially only started in cycle 1.2 in 2026/27, « provided that the scientific assessment of the project is still positive », as the response from Education Minister Claude Meisch (DP) at the question of LSAP MP Francine Closer.
« Students of the French group have great pleasure in reading »
In alternative literacy, parents can choose between German and French as a literacy language. This leads to an additional need for classrooms. The Ministry of Education carried out model calculations and estimates the additional need on 150 classrooms in 100 municipalities, on average one or two classrooms per community. Smaller buildings with fewer than two classes per year are particularly affected.
No additional classrooms are required for the initial phase in cycle 1, writes the Minister of Education, who expects the total requirement of additional classrooms due to the gradual introduction at the earliest for the school year 2030/2031. The municipalities therefore had enough time to create the necessary premises.
The teaching staff are trained for alternative literacy – part of them in their basic training, others in the context of the training program « Alpha – amount ». In October 2023, according to the Minister of Education, 87 teachers took part in the training. Other are planned, including one exclusively for cycle 1 that will start in May.
In addition, there are many other further training courses that are offered as part of the Alpha project and are further expanded according to the needs of the teachers.
What does science take care of me?
The Ministry of Education assumes that a total of 98 new apprenticeships have to be created by 2030/31, which corresponds to 13.6 percent of all areas to be created during this period. At the same time, the Ministry assumes that the alternative literacy will result in less « allong compensation of de cycle » (extension of the school days), which in turn saved 80 jobs.
The real estimated need for additional positions therefore amounts to 18, « which corresponds to 2.8 percent of all areas to be created during this period ».
