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7.1 History and Social Parameters of the Education System

Belgium borders on France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands as well as on the North Sea. Its capital, Brussels, is also the capital of the European Union. The country has an area of 30,528 km2 and a population of just over 11 million people (2013). Its population density of 328 people per km2 is the second largest in Europe. However, the population density does vary – from 429 people/km2 in the north of the country to 194 people /km2 in the south. There are three official languages: Dutch, French, and German.

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Belgium is a constitutional monarchy with a representative parliamentary system of government. The single and centralized state of Belgium was founded in 1831. Beginning in 1970, the constitution was reformed in several steps. As a consequence, the political, legislative, and administrative structures of the state evolved toward a federal system. In this federal system, there are now three authority levels, each with its own legislative and executive bodies: the Federal State, the communities, and the regions. The Federal State has a national parliament and national government. The three communities – the Flemish-, the French-, and the German-speaking communities – are responsible for cultural and personal-related matters within a certain linguistic area. In truth, there are four linguistic areas: a Dutch-speaking area (the language spoken in the Flemish community), a French area, a German area, and a bilingual area (Brussels). There are three regions: the Flemish Region, the Walloon Region, and the Brussels Region. They are responsible for all matters fully or partly related to their respective area. In Flanders, the community and the region coincide politically, and there is one Flemish parliament and one Flemish government.

As a consequence of recent state reforms, the educational responsibilities of each community are vested in its own education minister (executive power) and the community itself (legislative power by means of acts). Except for a few restrictions, each community has had full autonomy in the area of education since January 1989. The Federal Government only has competence for the pensions of the staff of educational establishments, for imposing compulsory education and for determining the minimum conditions for gaining a degree. The Flemish system is responsible for 58 % of school-aged children, the French system for 41 %, and the German system for less than 1 %.

From the beginning of the last century until 1970, the number of immigrants was relatively stable. Indeed, for a long time, Belgium sought workers from outside its borders, particularly for the traditional industries in the French-speaking part of the country. A wave of immigration between 1970 and 1981 increased the total number of foreigners by more than 25 % and brought many Turks and Moroccans to Belgium. Their children now account for half of the nonnative Belgian population under the age of 15. Currently allochthones represent 9.1 % of the total Belgian population (4.2 % in Flanders, 11.3 % in Wallonia, and 27.2 % in the Brussels Region).

7.2 Fundamentals, Organization, and Governance of the Education System

7.2.1 Current Educational Guidelines and Aims

The central task of educational politics is to guarantee the quality of the education system. The fundamental educational concept, as established by Jacques Delors (1996), of “learning to do, learning to live together, learning to be” provides a framework for the actual mandate over key issues in education policy. This mandate, structured around knowledge, skills, and attitudes, must also be differentiated and adapted to socioeconomic diversity. Quality education should therefore teach and develop values that promote a tolerant, caring, and humane society in which misunderstanding, intolerance, and isolation are abolished. Tolerance and solidarity should be stimulated, as well as critical citizenship. In short, the main aim of the education mandate is to empower young people through education and to prepare them to be responsible citizens.

7.2.2 Legal Foundations

The Belgian Constitution decrees that everyone has a right to education. In order to guarantee this right for all children, there is compulsory education. The 1983 Compulsory School Attendance Act obliges parents to send their children to school for 12 years: compulsory education starts on 1 September of the year in which the child reaches the age of 6 and lasts 12 full school years. From the age of 15 (in some cases 16), young people can opt for part-time education and part-time work. However, the majority of these pupils continue to receive full-time education. Compulsory education finishes at the end of the school year in which the pupil reaches the age of 18 or when she/he has gained the certificate of secondary education (irrespective of age). All children who reside in Belgium are subject to compulsory education, i.e., also children of foreign nationality. Children who reside in the country illegally also have the right to be enrolled at a school. They have the same rights as “legal” pupils. Compulsory education does not, however, mean compulsory schooling: children do not have to go to school to learn. They can also be educated at home. Parents who opt for this procedure (in practice there are very few) must inform the Department of Education. The authorities check that all pupils who are subject to compulsory education are actually complying. If this control reveals that a particular child is failing to comply with the rules, the parents can be punished by the courts. The Belgian Constitution also decrees that access to education be free of charge up to the end of compulsory education. Primary and secondary schools that are funded or subsidized by the government are therefore not permitted to demand fees. Access to nursery (non-compulsory) education is also free of charge. Moreover, for secondary and for higher education, there is a system of study allowances for parents on low incomes.

7.2.3 Managing the Education System

7.2.3.1 Freedom of Education

One of the most important principles governing the system is freedom of education (1831, Article 17 of the Belgian Constitution). This means that the organization of educational institutions may not be submitted to restrictive measures. In other words, every natural person or legal person has the right to organize education and to establish institutions according to her/his wishes. Nevertheless, if officially acknowledged certificates and diplomas are to be awarded, and if subsidies from the communities are to be granted, legal stipulations and rules must be observed. Parents also have freedom of choice regarding the type of education or the school they select for their children.

7.2.3.2 Autonomy of Educational Networks

A consequence of the constitutional freedom of education is the diversity of educational networks that exist. An educational network may come under the authority of the communities, province, municipalities, or other public institutions, as well as under the authority of private persons or associations. Traditionally, there have been three networks:

  • Community education: These comprise schools that were originally set up by the state but are now the responsibility of the communities. The constitution states that community education must be neutral, meaning that the religious, philosophical, and ideological convictions of parents and pupils must be respected.

  • Subsidized publicly run schools: These comprise municipal education organized by the municipalities and provincial education organized by the provincial administrations.

  • Subsidized privately run schools: These provide education organized by a private person or private organization on private initiative. The governing body is often a nonprofit-making organization. Privately run education mainly consists of Catholic schools. Furthermore, Protestant, Jewish, Orthodox, and Islamic schools are also permitted. In addition to these denominational schools, there are also schools that are not affiliated to a particular religion. Examples of these are the Freinet schools, Montessori schools, and Steiner schools, which practice their particular educational methods and are also known as “method schools.”

Education organized for and by the government (community education and municipal and provincial education) is known as publicly run education; education provided by the third network is known as privately run education. In Wallonia privately run education is less common than in Flanders.

7.2.4 Funding the Education System

Since 1959, the basic principle has been that the state, and now the communities, must provide all funding (in the form of a block grant) for the schools within their jurisdiction. The grants issued to the subsidized networks are intended to cover teachers’ salaries and the running, maintenance, and replacement costs of equipment and buildings. For several reasons, education in Belgium is not cheap. One of the main reasons is undoubtedly the freedom of education, which results in very dense school and discipline coverage, particularly in secondary and higher education. Different networks often offer the same discipline, and within the networks the coverage of disciplines is very similar. Controlling the education budget will remain a priority in the coming years.

7.2.5 Quality Development and Learning Targets

The Belgian education system employs a number of means, however, to achieve the best match between the intended and the implemented curriculum. Teachers are trained in the content-based and educational methods defined in the curriculum guidelines. Another means to help ensure the alignment of intended and actual educational practice is the development of instructional materials, including textbooks, instructional guides, and ministry notes that are tailored to the attainment targets. The implementation of the curriculum is monitored by the school inspectorate. The members of the inspectorate examine whether the attainment targets are being achieved and whether other organic obligations are being properly observed (e.g., the application of a timetable based on the core curriculum). The inspectorate is neither subject-based nor does it serve to control individual teachers. Instead, the entire school is to be monitored. It is responsible for all levels of education – from nursery schools through to higher education – and made up equally of members of state-run and private-maintained bodies. Educational advisors within the network are responsible for providing professional external support for schools and educational staff, especially in matters of general education and methodology.

In the long-term, achievement targets will replace curricula and specific syllabi, drawn up for each subject and school year. The minimum requirements set by the communities have to be documented and comprehensible to guarantee the quality of the education system and to legally safeguard maintaining bodies. This is why the concept of “achievement targets” has been introduced. Attainment targets are minimum objectives that the majority of pupils should achieve at a particular level in a particular discipline. They concern knowledge, attitudes, and skills and are both subject-related and cross-curricular.

Because curricula for primary school pupils are virtually identical, and because there are rarely more than two classes in any one particular year, there is no internal nor external differentiation. In secondary education, pupils change schools in line with their achievement and suitability to various education tracks.

In 95 % of schools, examinations and the transfer from one grade to the next are school-based. The award of certificates and qualifications, including those for university entrance, is also the sole responsibility of the schools themselves. The education system is very unusual in that there are no compulsory external examinations during either primary or secondary education. Each school organizes an autonomous examination for each subject in the curriculum, which is taken by all students every trimester or semester. During the year, results of formative tests that occur on an ongoing basis are used to determine the final assessment. The instruments used in testing are constructed by the teacher.

7.3 Overview of the Structure of the Education System

In Belgium there are three levels of education: primary (ISCED 0 + ISCED 1), secondary (ISCED 2 + ISCED 3), and tertiary (ISCED 5 and ISCED 6). Compulsory education lasts from the age of 6 to 18. Since the law of 29 June 1983, parents can also educate their child/children at home. Although there are a number of differences in the organization of the Dutch, French, and German education systems, these are in general rather small and mainly occur at the secondary level. In Wallonia, two types of secondary education, the comprehensive type 1 and the traditional type 2, still coexist, while in Flanders the unified secondary structure (a compromise between traditional and comprehensive education) was introduced in 1989. Belgian (in particular, Flemish) schools are either public, free schools (subsidized by the state and mainly Catholic) or maintained by private bodies (not subsidized).

7.3.1 Preschool and Primary Education

Preschool education is not compulsory but is attended by most children aged 2½–6 years; the primary sector (Years 1–6) caters for children aged 6–12. After completing Year 6, pupils receive a report reviewing the results of primary education. Primary schools usually work with the year/class system, whereby each group has its own class teacher, who does most of the teaching. Primary schools may employ a remedial teacher whose task consists in helping children with temporary learning or developmental difficulties.

7.3.2 Secondary Education in the Flemish Community

The various secondary schools provide general secondary education (ASO), technical secondary education (TSO), vocational secondary education (BSO), and secondary education in the arts (KSO).

English is offered from the second year of the ASO. Normally, a pupil can choose between the following disciplines: mathematics, Greek, Latin, and natural sciences. In later years other disciplines are added such as business/commerce, humanities, and modern languages. Most Belgian pupils in Years 5 and 6 attending an ASO have at least one lesson of German per week, sometimes three. At KSO schools, most of which are only to be found in larger cities, pupils can choose between comic drawing and computer graphics, for example, in addition to more basic subjects such as English, French, and mathematics. A pupil gains the certificate of secondary education after successfully completing secondary education which provides access to higher education.

Secondary education applies to pupils aged between 12 and 18 years, attending Years 7–12. It lasts 6 years and is divided into three 2-year phases. The four types of education are as follows:

  • General secondary education: The emphasis here is on broad general education, which in particular provides a firm foundation for entry to higher education.

  • Technical secondary education: It emphasizes particularly general and technical theoretical subjects. After TSO, young people can take up a profession or go into higher education.

  • Secondary education in the arts: Here, a broad general education is combined with active art education. After KSO, young people can take up a profession or go into higher education.

  • Vocational secondary education: This is a practical type of education in which young people learn a specific vocation in addition to receiving general education. Under certain circumstances, pupils graduating from KSO can attend universities.

In the unified system, pupils’ options are deferred to allow them to acquire a broad range of knowledge from as many subjects as possible. A great deal of importance is attached to this core curriculum. Part of the core curriculum is the same for all pupils in the same year. In addition, pupils can choose from a series of options. After Year 12, pupils can also opt for a seventh year (technical, artistic, and vocational) or for a fifth year after 4 years of vocational education.

7.3.3 Secondary Education in Wallonia and in the German Community

In Wallonia, so-called type 1 comprehensive education and type 2 traditional categorized education still coexist. Comprehensive education is by far the most common form in Wallonia. Only in Brussels are there still a number of schools that offer the traditional type 2.

The structure of type 1 education is as follows:

  • Three cycles of 2 years:

  • Cycle 1: the observation cycle

  • Cycle 2: the orientation cycle

  • Cycle 3: the determination cycle

  • Four educational forms: general, technical, artistic, and vocational education.

  • Two kinds of main tracks: transition and qualification (in both streams there are different study options).

  • Specialization years: At the level of the second and the third cycle, specialization years are offered.

The structure of type 2 education is as follows:

  • Two cycles of 3 years: a lower cycle and a higher cycle.

  • Educational forms: general, technical, and vocational (only in the higher cycle).

In contrast to the comprehensive type of education, the type 2 pupil does not have the opportunity to put together her/his own study program. The determination of her/his educational form can also not be postponed, as she/he has to make her/his choice immediately after primary schooling.

7.3.4 Vocational Education

A certificate of secondary education is offered at all types of secondary school (general or vocational; where needed, a seventh year can be added). However, the vocation certificate of secondary education only entitles holders to study 3-year higher education programs.

Pupils who do not follow this line have the chance to pursue a dual-system vocational program. At the age of 15 or 16, they can choose a career program and receive theoretical training on 2 days in the week; on the other days, they work as an industrial apprentice in a company. A trainee mentor accompanies the young people during the whole program.

7.3.5 Part-Time Secondary Education

Alongside full-time education, there is also part-time secondary education. This form of education was introduced in 1983 together with the extension of compulsory school attendance from 16 to 18. These alternative forms of education are organized in part-time educational centers or in retail training centers.

7.3.6 Special Education

In the rather short international history of special education, Belgium has always been considered a pioneer. Since the eighteenth century, many legislative decisions have been made to provide appropriate education for special needs children. Special education is intended for children and adolescents who cannot attend ordinary education due to temporary or permanent pedagogic needs. They require special assistance. Special education is adapted to the special needs of pupils with physical, sensory, psychological, or mental disabilities. The main aim is to integrate the pupils into the world of education on the one hand and into society on the other. A distinction is made between special preprimary education (from 2½ to 6 years of age), special primary education (from 6 to 13 years), and special secondary education (from 13 to 21 years). Primary and secondary special education is structured according to different types, which correspond to the pupils’ needs (type 1, slight mental handicap; type 2, moderate or severe mental handicap; type 3, emotional disturbances; type 4, physical disability; type 5, protracted illness; type 6, visual deficiencies; type 7, hearing deficiencies; type 8, serious learning difficulties).

In special education, the evaluation is mainly formative. The class council and the guidance center decide on the composition of the classes. This also implies that they decide whether a pupil remains in the same group or moves to a higher class or to another educational form. During the lessons, pupils from different mentally or physically handicapped types can be grouped together. Each child receives individualized education, adapted to her/his specific needs. The four training programs provided by special education correspond to well-defined educational aims:

  • Social training focusing on integration in a protected environment

  • General and social training focusing on integration in a protected labor working situation

  • Social and vocational training focusing on integration in a normal environment and work situation

  • Training preparing for higher education and for integration into active life

About 4 % of the overall school population attended a special education facility in 1999/2000. The so-called integrated education of handicapped pupils in a regular school is also starting up. This integration is organized with the aid of experts in the domain of special education.

7.3.7 Higher Education

Tertiary education consists of nonuniversity education and university education. In the German community there are just two colleges of education and a college of nursing. In the French and Flemish communities, there are higher education facilities at three levels: universities with the right to award doctorates, facilities offering 4-year programs, and facilities offering 3-year programs. Transitions between the different levels in higher education are possible. In order to gain access to higher education, a student must possess a higher secondary education diploma, obtained upon completion of full secondary education (general, technical, and artistic) or of a seventh year in vocational education. There is no numerus clausus, but there are entrance examinations for students who wish to take a degree in higher education in nautical sciences, a master’s degree in particular artistic disciplines, or a university degree in civil engineering, civil engineering and architecture, dentistry, or medicine.

Students of higher education are assessed by means of an examination at the end of the year and an academic paper. Some subjects also provide for individual course assessments (especially practical work). At present there are some initiatives aimed at introducing some formative forms of assessment which would simplify the evaluation of learning achievement over the academic year. As mentioned above, although various universities have their own specific structures, aims, and methods, there are an increasing number of agreements between universities – both of the same type and of different types. This helps break through the more rigid, traditional structures between the various levels of higher education, thus generating greater permeability. Credits attained in nonuniversity tertiary education can thus be recognized in a transition to a university, releasing students from having to take some obligatory courses.

7.3.7.1 Higher Nonuniversity Education

Higher nonuniversity education includes a range of possibilities. They can be divided into eight main categories: technology, economics, social sciences, arts, health, agriculture, education, and nautical education. Both short-term (3 years of study) and long-term (4 or 5 years of study) programs are provided. Short-term higher education aims to enable students to acquire professional skills and to find a job upon completion of their training. Practical apprenticeships are also provided. Long-term higher education is “academic” education. Students are trained to apply the results of scientific research in the everyday reality of their occupations.

7.3.7.2 University Education

Belgium has 11 universities. These are active in the fields of academic education, research, and scientific activities in the interests of society. The universities inform the government about their achievements and policy options. There are six universities in Flanders and three in Wallonia. Academic education is based on basic research and contributes as a whole to general education, preparing the student to independently practice a scientific discipline or apply scientific knowledge. Students can enter into full-time or part-time university education. Universities can offer basic courses in 18 disciplines. The basic courses are divided into two cycles. The first cycle concludes with a candidate’s first degree and lasts 2 years. For medical and veterinary courses, the first cycle lasts 3 years. The second cycle usually lasts 2 years. However, for some courses, the second cycle lasts 3 or even 4 years. Most courses conclude with a Licentiate’s (master’s) degree. In the light of the Bologna Process, the current structure will certainly be modified. In the meantime, the Bologna Process has largely harmonized programs at community and European level.

Advanced academic courses comprise supplementary courses and specialist courses. A supplementary course is aimed at supplementing or extending one or more academic courses in the second cycle. The course finishes with the academic degree in the supplementary field of study.

Academic teacher training concludes with a “qualification for upper secondary school teaching.” Students in the second cycle of a university basic course can receive this academic teacher training, but the “qualification for upper secondary school teaching” can only be awarded when the student has gained the degree for the second cycle.

A doctoral program is focused on the preparation of a doctoral thesis, but the academic title of “doctor” can only be awarded after a public defense of the thesis.

7.3.8 Adult Education

In the rapidly changing Belgian society, regular retraining and in-service education have become a necessity in all sectors. In addition, a number of students within the regular school system make study choices for which they are not suited. In later life, these groups are confronted with reduced opportunities on the labor market. Adult education is aimed at remedying this problem. The education departments therefore organize education for social advancement, part-time artistic education, distance learning, basic education, and second-chance education to cater to this need. Adult education is also organized by the Economics Department, Employment, and Home Affairs, as well as by the Welfare, Public Health, and Culture Department.

7.4 Developments in the Current School System

7.4.1 Preprimary Education

The first “nursery school” was opened in Brussels in 1827. During their first phase, the nursery schools were intended for children whose parents did not work at home. The primary concern was the child’s moral well-being and health. Later on, nursery education was considerably influenced by innovators such as Fröbel (Germany), Montessori (Italy), and Decroly (Belgium). Structurally, nursery and primary education function as separate entities, but the aim is to realize a fluent transition between the two educational levels. Although nursery education is not compulsory, the participation rate is extremely high: nearly all children (more than 95 %) are enrolled in the three learning groups (from two and a half to four, from four to five, and from five to six). Very few countries have such a high enrollment. Teaching is organized around “experience-related” education, meaning that the personal experiences of the child are the central focus. Self-realization is set as a target.

Most teachers are female and have completed a full-time, 3-year higher nonuniversity education. In-service training is offered by a variety of regional training centers. There are curricula for each year, even at preschool level. The general aims of nursery schools are:

  • To promote a psychological and physical balance

  • To develop mental faculties

  • To develop reasonable understanding

  • To develop harmony and versatility in the psychomotor domain

  • To promote independence

  • To promote creativity

  • To encourage reasonable behavior in a community

The nursery school week consists of 28 units of 50 min 5 days a week. As in the primary school, the preschool year lasts 182 days: as a rule, a nursery school group consists of no more than 20 children taught in accordance to their age.

7.4.2 Starting School and Transition to the General Education School

In preschool education, pupils are mainly evaluated by observation. This kind of evaluation has a predictive function:

  • Transition to the following phase of the nursery school or transition from the nursery school to the primary school.

  • It also has an evaluative function: what does the child know in comparison with her/his peers?

  • A diagnostic function (to understand why development is inhibited or why certain learning processes do not occur).

Parent can decide which school to send their children to, and schools are not allowed to reject certain children. This applies to Belgian children as well as for children not of Belgian citizenship. Lessons in primary schools take place in the mornings and afternoons (except for Wednesday afternoon) 5 days a week. The school year itself consists of at least 182 days. In the Flemish community, the school week comprises 28 lessons of 50 min. The school week for Years 1 to 4 in the French and German community comprises 28 lessons with 30 lessons in Years 5 and 6. In 1999, the pupil-teacher ratio in the Flemish community stood at 15.7:1 and in Wallonia at 14.2:1.

Mathematics, natural sciences and mother language lessons assume key importance. Together they amount to 70 % of the timetable for Years 1–4 and 50 % of the timetable for Years 5 and 6. Characteristic for Belgium is the teaching of the second official language (and in Wallonia German too) as early as Years 5 and 6. In some communities (Brussels and neighboring communities), second language teaching is obligatory from Year 3.

In the primary school the teacher has to develop tests which are given at the end of each learning phase to evaluate the realization of the educational objectives and to test the effectiveness of the learning process. A school report provides the pupils and their parents with a regular overview of the results, the progress made, the learning behavior, and the development of the personality of the pupil. Formative tests can be supplemented by more extended summative tests. In the Flemish community, the legislation on basic education obliges the primary schools to provide a school plan (schoolwerkplan) reporting the evaluation procedures used in their pedagogical project. It is, however, imperative to pursue the officially stipulated final standards. The French Community is experimenting with a regulation to evaluate pupils every 2 years. This means that the transition from Year 1 to 2, from Year 3 to 4, and from Year 5 to 6 occurs automatically. After the completion of each cycle of two grades, the question is asked as to whether the pupil can transfer to the next cycle. By 2005 all schools should have implemented this reform.

In upper secondary education, a class committee decides whether or not a pupil has passed. In doing so, the class committee draws on a variety of sources, such as the pupil’s previous and current performance in formative tests and information from the school advisory service, and invites parents and pupils for talks. The decision on progression to the next year (with or without restrictions) is contained in the orientation certificate each pupil receives at the end of each school year in secondary school.

7.4.3 Teacher and Head Teacher Education

A distinction is made between teachers employed on a “temporary basis” and “nominated” teachers. To be nominated, teachers must have senior status. There are three types of qualifications. Teachers are required to possess the necessary pedagogical diploma or, in the case of a teacher shortage, a diploma classified as providing a sufficient qualification. As a temporary measure in emergency situations, a third type of qualification can be accepted. Only the first two types of qualification mentioned above can lead to nomination. In Belgium teachers are trained on three educational levels:

  • University training: In addition to their university diploma, university students can acquire a diploma in “aggregate secondary education.” The first part of the program is a theoretical introduction. The second part provides a practical experience: the student observes a number of lessons in the class and also teaches under the supervision of a mentor. To obtain her/his diploma, the candidate is invited to present two (public) examination lessons. If she/he succeeds, she/he is qualified to teach at upper secondary education level (Years 10–12).

  • Full-time training in higher nonuniversity education (short type): In these institutes, teacher training is organized for preprimary (nursery) education, primary education, and the lower level of secondary education (Years 7–9). The students in this form of education choose one or two subjects for which they will be qualified. This 3-year training program is available to students with a diploma in secondary education.

  • Part-time training in pedagogical education for social advancement: For teachers responsible for vocational practice (secondary education), and for teachers for whom no training program is available in higher nonuniversity education, specific training is provided in education for social advancement. This is always a part-time program, organized in the evening or at weekends, and includes theoretical and practical parts. After passing a test, the candidates receive a Certificate of Pedagogical Competence, which allows them to teach technical courses in the lower and higher secondary grades of vocational, technical, and artistic education.

7.5 New Developments

7.5.1 The Teaching Profession Is Becoming Increasingly Less Attractive

Statistics already show that the teaching profession is becoming less and less attractive. Possible underlying factors are the longer duration of teacher training, the very long period of temporary appointment without a guarantee of nomination, the lower salaries (compared to the private sector), and the lack of social esteem attached to the teaching profession. The government aims to provide a sufficient number of competent and motivated teachers for schools in the short and the medium term. In this regard, short- and medium-term realization strategies have been developed. In order to remedy the teacher shortage in the short term, a number of new measures have been introduced since September 2000:

  • In the future, it will be more rewarding for teachers to work overtime; there will also be a more flexible arrangement for returning to a job temporarily from leave or retirement.

  • The teacher replacement pool creates a better status for supply teachers; the pool provides job security and a secure income in exchange for regional deployment to replace absent colleagues.

  • Because of the enormous shortages on the labor market, a number of additional measures were recently taken, entering into effect from 2001.

  • To provide additional support for teachers and school management teams from sectors where there are still sufficient reserves of labor

  • To encourage students to opt for teacher training (this aim was promoted by means of a recruitment campaign in the media)

  • To provide a premium for teachers who work in Brussels and who pass the language examination

  • To introduce longer uninterrupted periods of teaching practice (2 months) for students in their last year of teacher training

  • To draw up formulae to train (unemployed and employed) nursery teachers and physical education teachers to become primary teachers

  • In order to make the teaching profession an attractive and valued job once again in the medium term, a coherent and coordinated action plan was introduced with various policy projects:

  • Evaluation measures of teacher training have been conducted since 2000. Stakeholders are the users of teacher training, i.e., the clients and providers and other experts. The result of this evaluation will indicate the line to be taken for the revision of initial training and in-service training.

  • In 2000, the government concluded the Collective Employment Agreement V. This agreement places an emphasis on improving the working conditions of teaching staff and mainly consists of investments to improve working conditions with additional support and a reduction in planning load. Discussions in 2001 resulted in the Collective Employment Agreement VI, which applies to 2001 and 2002. In addition to a general salary increase, the CEA VI comprises a significant reduction in workload. With regard to salary conditions, the government has commissioned a study to compare teaching salaries with salaries in other sectors and in other countries and to determine the direction of the new salary policy for Flemish teachers. The social debate and the evaluation of teacher training will result in an overall idea of the teaching profession and related policy proposals.

  • It is also envisaged to introduce a professional school administrative body. The Government of Flanders Act on the legal status of schools will be amended so that schools have the scope, instruments, and capacities to fulfill their role as employer as well as possible and to implement a personnel policy which develops, monitors, coaches, and values teachers.

7.5.2 Target-Group Policy

The Belgian government devotes particular attention to the educational problems of specific target groups. Therefore, different projects have been established in the last 10 years, both at and across specific educational levels. These projects differ markedly with regard to objectives, administrative management, and methods of funding, supervision, and monitoring. The educational priority projects (focusing on children with immigrant backgrounds in primary and secondary education) and the extended special needs provision projects (focusing on educationally deprived children in primary education) give schools an opportunity to apply for additional periods. Schools that are given additional periods can make use of different supportive measures. There are educational advisors across networks who can supervise schools. They usually work free of charge for the schools involved. In addition, schools in Brussels can apply for extra support for the implementation of educational priority and for the extension of special needs provision. Finally, there are a number of projects focusing on particular target groups. For example, there is a nursery class in Antwerp for the young children of bargemen, and a school network is being built up which these children can attend when they are traveling with their parents. In tertiary education, the government is subsidizing tertiary-level teacher training courses on certain issues (e.g., Islamic studies). A number of training courses are cooperating in a project aimed at promoting both the intake and the transfer of immigrant children. For non-Dutch-speaking newcomers, e.g., under the age of 18, reception classes are organized both in primary and secondary education. The quick acquisition of sufficient language skills (whether Dutch, French, or German) is central to the successful participation of these children in the ordinary education system. Centers for adult education and centers for adult basic education organize courses in both Dutch and French as a foreign language for adults.

7.5.3 Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)

Since 1996, the government has implemented a policy of promoting ICT in education. It aims to encourage schools to integrate ICT in their lessons by means of information and awareness-raising campaigns, in-service training, subsidies for infrastructure, and project funding. Pupils learn what ICT is and how to use it while they acquire the content of various subjects and disciplines. The policy of promoting ICT is based on five strands:

  • Providing the necessary basic infrastructure. The original aim was to provide one PC for every ten pupils by 2002 in the three highest years of primary education and in all the secondary years. In addition, the Federal Telecom Act ensured that schools have an opportunity to be connected to the Internet cheaply with broadband technology.

  • In order to support schools in the introduction of ICT, various projects were set up. The publication of an ICT step-by-step plan should enable schools to draw up their own policy on ICT.

  • Teachers need to be convinced of the added value of using ICT. They are also expected to be sufficiently competent in the field. Therefore, in terms of training, policymakers must work at two levels at the same time. First and foremost is the training of the next generation of teachers. Attention to the implementation of ICT in teacher training is a policy priority in the short and medium term. Secondly, it is necessary to work with the current generation of teachers by providing in-service training. In Flanders, there are currently five regional expertise networks that are actively involved in helping teachers to catch up by providing in-service training for ICT at the educational, technical, and organizational level.

  • Many European countries are faced with similar needs and problems regarding the introduction of new media into education. Therefore, the establishment of a joint international platform where experiences can be exchanged and initiatives can be drawn up together was by no means an unnecessary luxury. The European School Network was established in 1998 as a framework for networking and for the exchange of information and projects.

  • ICT policy must be underpinned by research and will have to be regularly evaluated. In December 2000, a 3-day ICT forum was organized in this context where teachers, school management teams, youth workers, industry, and policymakers scrutinized ICT policy. Following this forum, a new policy plan will be developed with new emphases, such as the expansion of the infrastructure programs, the improvement of ICT applications, attention to safe Internet use, the creation of a new educational portal site, etc.

7.5.4 Lifelong Learning

Learning is a process that encompasses a whole life span. The desire to learn can be stimulated by the government by providing learning contents and learning situations from primary to higher education that promote the skills for lifelong learning and make them useful for the future. Self-monitored learning and thinking in a problem-solving manner are skills that could be taught in the basic education of all young people. This process requires challenging attainment targets, sometimes across the different subjects, as well as basic skills. The centers for adult education are responsible for making lifelong learning for adults a real possibility. Continuing education is currently structured in a transparent way and follows on from secondary education. In the short term, it needs to determine how adult education can be made more attractive to skilled and experienced teachers. The creation of a complete electronic learning platform is another important element in facilitating lifelong learning for adults. The development of combined education in the centers for adult education also fits into this framework. Adults can also have learning experiences outside the formal education system, for example, during their work experience. This target has a place in a European perspective.