"Truly responding to the needs of the children is the greatest challenge"

20 years ago, Luxembourg brought together a wide variety of childcare options under the umbrella of the Maison Relais – as a link between school and parents and as a prerequisite for many parents to work. Today, a national framework plan with pedagogical goals and quality standards applies.

Lëtzebuerger Journal travelled to Esch/Alzette to talk about waiting lists, parental work, cooperation with the school and the challenges. We met with Sylvia Marques, head of education at the Maisons Relais administration in the southern municipality, Sally Gauthier, a member of the education team, and Sharon Laranjeira, head of the Maison Relais Bei de Pompjeeën. All three women have previous experience in managing after-school care centres.

Lëtzebuerger Journal: What do you see as the biggest challenge in working in the Maison Relais?

Sylvia Marques: Really catering to the needs of the children is the biggest challenge. After all, a Maison Relais is a community where many children come together.

Sally Gauthier: The staffing ratio we have to adhere to is one educator for eleven children. If there is a child with special needs, another who is having a bad day, a third who needs help with homework and a fourth with an activity, it can sometimes be difficult.

SM: The groups used to be smaller and more homogeneous. The open system (the children are free to decide which activities they want to do, when they want to eat, … ed.) clearly has advantages for the children's development, but makes individualised support more difficult.

The second challenge is the increase in various problems.

Are these problems increasing or are they perhaps simply being better recognised? A lot has happened in recent years in terms of diagnostics and sensitisation.

SM: Yes, society is developing very quickly. In the past, the focus was on learning or behavioural problems. Today, early access to social media, smartphones and bullying are added to the mix.

SG: There are significantly more children entering puberty early.

Sharon Laranjeira: The children are also losing a certain spontaneity. Just a few years ago, they had the reflex to look for something to do when they were bored. Today, they are used to being handed a smartphone or the television being switched on.

SM: Our challenge is to awaken the desire for "normal" activities so that the children become creative themselves.

SG: This is a real challenge, especially for children in Cycle 4.

SL: Sport motivates them to some extent. It's more difficult with the other areas of activity (of the framework curriculum for non-formal education; these are various subject areas of child and youth work, ed.).