Educating Belgium

European School of Brussels

    Since Belgium is divided into three distinct language communities: Dutch-speaking, French-speaking, and German-speaking; Each community has its own regulations regarding the education system. Most compulsory schools in Belgium are between the ages of six and eighteen. Compulsory education is divided into primary and secondary schools. Within each community, there are three main types of institutions: Community schools (state education), Subsidized public and private schools, and fee-paying private schools.

    While preschool education is not required, it is still useful for various reasons. Most preschools build free childcare for working parents. Plus, the classes actively prepare children for school on both an educational and social level through play-focused learning. As a result, over 90% of children do attend a pre-school in Belgium, and majority of children are aged 2.5 years and older.

    Moving on, primary education is compulsory from the ages of six to twelve, and in those schools, establishing a correct pace of education is very important. Children often receive multiple assessments at every level, from pre-primary to secondary, to determine whether they are ready to move onto the next level/grade. With this testing, it is often common for children to repeat a year with no negative stigma attached. On finishing primary school, children will graduate with a certificate of primary education, which is essential to moving on to secondary school. Majority of all primary schools are free within the country, except for private schools including Method and Montessori schools, international schools, and religious schools.

    The secondary education in Belgium is compulsory from ages of thirteen to eighteen. Most state secondary schools are free to the public, with minimal contributions to external costs, like textbooks. The curriculum begins very broad, but as students move into higher levels, they have more choices about subjects they want to take. In the final cycle, between the ages of fifteen and sixteen, students can specialize in part-time vocational training courses in either: general, technical, vocational, or art education.

    With there being some variations between schools in Belgium, a normal school day typically begins around eight or eight-thirty in the morning for all age groups. Pre-primary and primary schools will end the day around 15:30 (3:30), while secondary schools will end around 16:15 (4:15). The curriculum tends to be traditional, with morning classes based on literacy and mathematics and other subjects, like music, and history, are taught in the afternoon. Wednesdays are usually reserved for half-days, which entails that students leave for the afternoon. 

    When it comes to completing school and advancing towards a higher degree, Belgium has a significant contribution to the education system. Just in 2021, “10% of the population aged 25-64, i.e. the working-age population and who have mostly completed their schooling, have no diploma or at most a diploma of primary education, 17% have a diploma of lower secondary education, 37% a diploma of upper secondary education and 37% have a diploma of higher education (“level of education”).” Similarly, women have a higher level of education than men: 42% of them have a higher education compared to 32% of men ("level of education"). 

    There are also slight differences in the completion of school in different regions of Belgium. In the Flemish region, 77% of the population aged 25-64 have at least an upper secondary education and the gender gap is small, 79% women, 75% men. In the Brussels-Capital region, the share of the population is even smaller (66%), and the gender gap is about, 68% women, 65% men. While in the Walloon Region, 69% of the population share an upper secondary education and the gender gap is relatively like the other regions, 73% women, 66% men. With a higher education degree, the Brussels-Capital region, among 25-64, is 42%, 33% in the Walloon region and 38% in Flemish region. The gender gap is 6 points in Brussels, 10 in Flanders (Flemish) and 11 in Wallonia ("Level of education").

    Diving deeper into Belgium’s curriculum, their schools (mainly secondary) typically have a more uniform structure, which is divided into three stages. The first stage is devoted to a core curriculum and lasts about two years. The subjects that are required include: Dutch, French, English, Math, History, Geography, Art, Science, Technical and physical education, and religion or ethics. During the second stage, students will be able to choose between four different types of programs: general secondary education (ASO), technical secondary education (TSO), secondary education in the arts (KSO), and vocational secondary education (BSO). They continue these programs onto the third stage. Then, typically around the ages of 15-16, students will transfer into part-time education based on their chosen programs until they essentially receive a certificate. Once a student receives a certificate of secondary education, the student can enter any type of post-secondary institution ("The education system in Belgium").

    Much like Belgium, any U.S. secondary schools consist of middle and high school, with similar required subjects at each grade level. As the students work through each grade level, they can pick electives that can aid them in their career path. After the students complete the required amount for their courses, they end up with a high school diploma, which helps in choosing to go to college or not.

    A very common key component to Belgium’s education system is the idea of doubling/retaining, where students are properly “trained” to meet expectations for a certain career by repeating a year to be proficient and/or academically ready to move on towards the next year. This is a very popular technique that many educators use to provide students with educational opportunities and assistance to promote social and cognitive development. By using these components, it helps students to be college and career ready.

References:

https://www.expatica.com/be/education/children-education/education-in-belgium-100088/

https://www.angloinfo.com/how-to/belgium/family/schooling-education/school-year

https://www.ukessays.com/essays/education/comparison-between-american-and-belgian-education.php