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Education in Flanders A broad view of the Flemish educational landscape
Ministry of the Flemish Community Education Department 2001
onderwijscoverE
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education in Flanders
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Pagina 1
Education in Flanders A broad view of the Flemish educational landscape
Ministry of the Flemish Community Education Department 2001
education in Flanders
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1.
The position of Flanders
education in Flanders
1.1.
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Flanders in Belgium and Europe
1.2.
Flanders as a federated state
Flanders lies in the northern, Dutch-speaking
The name ‘Flanders’ actually covers two
part of Belgium. It has a central position in the
meanings. In fact, the name is used to cover
middle of the most important West European
the whole area encompassing the Flemish
industrial regions.
Community as well as the Flemish Region.
Flanders has approximately 5.8 million
• The Flemish Region is the territory
inhabitants. Brussels is the capital of Flanders,
comprising the Dutch-language area: the
but also of Belgium and of Europe.
provinces of West and East Flanders, Antwerp, Limburg and Flemish-Brabant. The Flemish Region is competent with regard to so-called territorial issues. These are policy areas such as the economy, infrastructure, agriculture, the environment and employment. • The Flemish commun ity comprises the inhabitants of the Dutch-language area and the Dutch speakers in Brussels. The Flemish Community is competent for so-called personrelated issues. These are policy areas in which the provision of services to the people is closely related to the language in which they should be carried out. Specifically they include education, welfare, public health and culture. Flanders has opted for combining the parliament and the government of the Flemish Region and that of the Flemish Community in a single Parliament of Flanders and a single Government of Flanders. Therefore in Flanders, one and the same authority exercises both the regional and the community powers. Because of this, political decision-making is simpler for the Flemish than for the French-speaking population in the south of the country where there are separate regional and community authorities. That is why the institutions on the Flemish side are structured differently from those on the French-language side. For this reason, the Belgian federal model is sometimes described as an asymmetrical model.
3
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1.3
Maximum scope, including the scope for educational issues
In addition to the Flemish Community and the
The Government of Flanders has the maximum
Flemish Region, the federal structure comprises
level of independence in all the policy areas for
two other communities and regions:
which Flanders is competent. This is because
• the Walloon Region, which covers the
the Government of Flanders and the federal
French and German-language areas, with the
government are on an equal footing and their
provinces of Walloon Brabant, Hainaut, Liège,
powers do not overlap. Therefore only one
Namur and Luxembourg;
government is the legislator in any policy area.
• the Brussels Capital Region, which
In principle, the other authority level cannot
coincides with the bilingual area of the
interfere. As this system significantly reduces
Brussels capital where the two languages
the chance of conflict between the different
must be treated equally on the basis of the
levels of authority, it is also an important factor
constitution;
in the political stability.
• the French Commun ity, which comprises the inhabitants of the French-language area
The competence for education lies with the
and the French-speaking population in the
communities. Therefore each community has
Brussels Capital Region;
its own educational system.
• the German speaki ng Commun ity,
In the Government of Flanders the Flemish
which comprises the approximately 70,000
Minister of Education is responsible for almost
inhabitants of the German-language area.
every aspect of the education policy, from nursery to university education. The minister is
North Sea
The Netherlands
at the head of the Department of Education of the Ministry of the Flemish Community.
f l a n d e r s
Germany
With regard to education, the federal government
brussels
only has competence for the pensions of the staff of educational establishments, imposing wallonia
german speaking community
compulsory education*1 and determining the minimum conditions for gaining a degree.
France Luxembourg 1 All the terms followed by an * are explained elsewhere in the publication. Terms which refer to levels of education do not have an *. For a further explanation of the levels of education,
The process of federalisation was a slow process
you can consult section 2.2 (pp.12-24).
of political debate, which took almost a quarter of a century. Between 1970 and 1993, the federal parliament approved four state reforms. During this period, the federated states were granted their own government, their own parliament and their own administration, step by step. At the same time, the powers of the federated states were systematically extended. The aim was to grant balanced packages of powers, which would allow for clear and unambiguous policies.
4
education in Flanders
1.4
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A small region, with a large school population
The graphs shown below provide information about the school population in full-time education for every level of education and for continuing education. Graph 1: School population in full-time education
Graph 2: School population in continuing
for every level of education (school year 1999-2000)
education (school year 1999-2000)
500 000 434 272
200 000
431 027
170 063 139 487
400 000
150 000 300 000
240 654 100 000
200 000 48 882
98 536 100 000
50 000
16 907 16 902
56 740
0
0 Nursery+ primary education
Secondary education
Tertiary education
Adult education
Part-time education in the arts
Nursery education
Continuing education (secondary)
Primary education
Continuing education (tertiary)
Education at colleges of higher education
Adult basic education
University education
bis (Supervised individual study)
In the young Flemish population group (ages 25 to 34), 77% have at least a certificate of secondary education. This means that in 1998, the Flemish Region scored significantly higher than the average oecd country, where 72% of this age group completed secondary education. A great deal of progress was made in this respect in the 1990s. Flanders rapidly made up where it had fallen behind with regard to the level of education. While 55% of Flemish 25-34 year olds had at least a certificate of secondary education in 1990, this figure had risen to 69% by 1994, and, as indicated above, to 77% in 1998. Nevertheless, too many young people still finish compulsory education without any certificate or diploma. Attempts are being made to change this trend with the modularisation* project. 5
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2.
Education in Flanders
education in Flanders
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2.1.1 Compulsory education for
all children up to the age of 18 The Belgian Constitution provides that everyone 2.1
General principles
has a right to education, with respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms. In order to guarantee this right for all children, there is compulsory education. Compulsory education starts on 1 September of the year in which a 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 parttime education and part-time work to comply with compulsory education in this way. 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 he/she 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 with a foreign nationality. Children who reside in the country illegally also have a right to be enrolled in a school. They have the same rights as ‘legal’ pupils. However, compulsory education does not mean compulsory schooling. This means that children do not have to go to school to learn: they can also be educated at home. Parents who opt for this (in practice, there are very few) must inform the Department of Education. After all, the authorities control whether all pupils who are subject to compulsory education are actually complying. If this control of compulsory education reveals that a particular child fails to comply with the rules on compulsory education, the parents can be punished by court. In practice, repressive actions are avoided as far as possible by means of supervision (e.g., by the pupil guidance centre*). Children who are unable to attend school, mainly because of serious disabilities, can be exempted from compulsory education. The Belgian Constitution also provides that access to education is free of charge up to the end of compulsory education. Primary and secondary schools that are funded or subsidised
7
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by the government may therefore not demand
example, these schools must be adequately
any fees. Access to Flemish nursery education is
equipped and have sufficient teaching materials.
also free of charge, although this is not covered
They must be established in buildings which are
by compulsory education.
habitable, safe and sufficiently tidy, etc.
• In primary education, the starting point is that
2 From 1 September
the parents do not have to pay for school
In addition to the freedom to organise education,
materials and activities which are essential to
the constitution also guarantees the parents’
achieve the attainment targets.* Parents can
freedom of choice. Parents and their children
submit any questions and complaints about
must have access to a school of their choice
this to the Malpractice Committee. 2
within a reasonable distance from their home.
• In secondary education, the school can ask 2.1.3 Educational networks
2001, the Malpractice
parents for a contribution towards the costs of
Committee will be
educational materials and certain activities.
replaced by the
The contribution that is requested must be
In many cases the educational networks, as
Committee for Careful
justified. Parents comment on this
the representative association of the governing
Administration.
contribution in advance in the participation
bodies, take over some of the responsibilities of
Parents will be able
council.*
the governing bodies. They draw up their own
to go there with
For secondary (and higher) education, there is a
curriculum and timetables. This means that the
questions and
system of study allowances for parents with
governing bodies concerned surrender some of
complaints about
a low income. In order to be eligible for a study
their autonomy to the networks.
both primary and
allowance, the student must comply with the
secondary education.
nationality requirement and a number of
Traditionally a distinction is made between three
educational and financial conditions. An
educational networks:
application for a study allowance must be
• Commun ity education (go) is education
submitted at the latest on 31 October of the year
organised by the public body Flemish
in which the school or academic year* begins.
Community Education, under the authority of the Flemish Community. The constitution
2.1.2 Freedom of education
provides that community education must be neutral. This means that the religious,
Freedom of education is also a constitutional
philosophical or ideological convictions of
right in Belgium. In other words, every natural
parents or pupils must be respected;
person or legal person has the right to organise
• Subsi dised publicly run schools (ogo)
education and establish institutions for this
comprise municipal education organised by
purpose.
the municipalities, and provincial education organised by the provincial administrations.
The concept of the govern i ng body (or school
Their governing bodies are united in two
board) is a key concept in the organisation of
umbrella organisations, the Educational
education in Flanders. This refers to the govern-
Secretariat of the Association of Flemish Cities
ment, the natural person or the legal person who
and Municipalities (ovsg), and the Flemish
is responsible for one or more educational establishments.
Provincial Authority Education Group(cvpo). • Subsi dised privately run schools
The governing bodies have a wide-ranging
(vgo) deliver education organised by a
autonomy. For example, they are completely free
private person or private organisation on
with regard to the choice of teaching methods.
private initiative. The governing body is often
They can also determine their own curriculum
a non-profit-making organisation (vzw).
and timetables, and appoint their own staff.
Privately run education mainly consists of
However, schools that want government
catholic schools. These are combined in an
recognition or financial support from the govern-
organisation: the Flemish Secretariat for
ment must observe a number of conditions. For
Catholic Education (vsko). Furthermore, 8
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2.1.4 Funding education
protestant, Jewish, orthodox, Islamic, etc. schools are also possible. In addition to these denominational schools, there are also
Strictly speaking, the Flemish education budget
schools, which are not affiliated to a particular
expressed in available policy credits amounted to
religion. Examples of these are the Freinet
6.51 billion eur (= 262.7 billion bef) for 2000. This
schools, Montessori schools and Steiner
accounts for 42% of the total Flemish budget, and
schools, which adopt particular educational
represents an average nominal increase of 4%
methods, and are also known as ‘method
per year since 1989. The adjusted budget for 2001
schools’.
amounts to 6.83 billion eur (= 275.7 billion bef) or an increase of 4.9%, compared with 2000.
A small number of schools in Flanders are not recognised by the government. These are so-
Budget that is not related to a specific level of education
called private schools. They cannot be funded or subsidised by the government.
9,2%
Lifelong learning 3 9% 3,9% %
Nursery+ primary education 28,6%
The education that is organised for and by the government (community education and municipal and provincial education) is known
University education 8,9% 7,9%
as publicly run education; education provided by the third network is known as privately run education. The table below shows the
Education at colleges of higher education
Secondary education 41,5%
distribution of pupils across the different educational networks, revealing that the great majority of Flemish pupils receive subsidised
Diagram 2: The education budgets for every level
(privately run) education.
of education
Operational costs 9,1% Tertiary education 16,2%
go 14,4%
3% Investments 2,8% Other
vgo 68,8% ogo 16,8%
Salaries 68,9%
Diagram 1: Distribution of pupils across the
Diagram 3: The education budgets for every
networks in primary and secondary education
category of expenditure
(school year 1999-2000). Community education organised for the Flemish Community receives a grant every year. In addition, the Flemish Community subsidises the provinces, (associations of) municipalities, and other legal persons in public law, or private persons who organise education in accordance with the legal norms. The Flemish Community pays for staffing costs. 9
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The governing bodies receive the funds for the
For colleges for higher education, deregulation
operation of the schools and boarding schools by
was further extended in the Government of
means of funding systems or subsidies.
Flanders Act on colleges of higher education of 1994. The colleges of higher education are
2.1.5 Moving towards autonomy
responsible for the lump-sum grants allocated to them every year. The government expects a
Flemish policy makers have tried to stimulate
result-oriented management from the colleges
education by giving the education providers
of higher education: the development of a
greater responsibility and making the users
vision, the formulation of a long-term
accountable as well, as far as possible. This
strategy, providing clear operational directives
process of local accountability has been
and the development of the curricula.
introduced at every level of education. Colleges
The inspectorate of Finances and the
of higher education and universities are further
government commissioner who evaluates the
along the way to autonomy than primary and
policy in terms of the legal regulations
secondary schools. A description of this evolution
inspects the universities and colleges of higher
for every level of education is given below:
education. The institutions are also obliged to
• the Government of Flanders Act on primary
carry out internal quality control* and
education of 25 February 1997 allows the
cooperate with external controls. The
school boards to determine their own
universities and colleges of higher education
curriculum, action plans and school
inform the Flemish authorities through
development plans, provided these take the
annual accounts and annual reports, about
developmental objectives and attainment
their financial management and the extent to
targets* into account. The schools are also free
which they have duly carried out their
to choose their own teaching methods and
(educational) tasks.
educational methods. However, there are still strict conditions with which schools must
2.1.6 The legal position of staff
comply with regard to funding, subsidies for salaries, the operating budget and
The legal position of staff guarantees their legal
investments;
security and provides a certain degree of job
• the process of decentralisation was introduced
security. This contains the basic rules related to
in secondary education in the 1980s. While the
recruitment, appointment, selection, promotion
autonomy of subsidised education* was a
and discipline. This means that the educational
result of historical factors, this process in
careers of staff in primary, secondary and special
community education* was introduced in a
education, part-time art education, continuing
special Government of Flanders Act in 1988,
education, clbs* and boarding schools must take
which granted local councils* decision-making
place within the limits imposed by the acts on
powers with regard to staffing policy,
legal position of 27 March 1991 for subsidised
financial and materials policies. The special
education and community education. For staff at
Government of Flanders Act of 1998 followed
colleges of higher education and universities,
the same line;
there was an option to create a separate legal
• the Government of Flanders Act on university
position.
education of 12 June 1991 assigns a large degree of autonomy to the universities. The
Once a member of staff is appointed, there is a
government provides the required funds, and
possibility to make this a permanent
makes the universities responsible for
appointment, under certain conditions. A
spending them. With regard to the staffing
perman ent appoi ntment guarantees job
policy, the government only determines the
and salary security. It also gives the member of
framework. The content of the curriculum is
staff the right to a whole series of systems of
also the responsibility of each university.
leave, sick leave, and a state pension. This 10
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pension is more advantageous than a pension in
2.1.7 Organisation of the school
and the academic year
the private system because it is seen as a postponed salary.
For primary and secondary education, the school Flemish schools increasingly have the autonomy
year starts on 1 September and in theory ends on
to implement their own personnel policy.
31 August. However, because of the summer
They are encouraged to implement an hrm
holidays (1 July-31 August), the school year ends
policy based on supervision, encouragement
on 30 June in practice. The school is open for 182
and monitoring. The first cautious step in this
days per school year.
policy is the introduction of job descriptions
In primary education, pupils have 28 teaching
and the effect of these on the job content and
times of 50 minutes in educational and
performance arrangement of staff. Thus jobs in
developmental activities per week. In secondary
primary education are no longer exclusively
education, at least 28 teaching periods of 50
expressed in terms of teaching times, but
minutes must be organised per week, with a
describe the overall school task.
maximum permitted of 36 lessons per week. The school year and the types of education determine
Flanders applies the general principle of staff
the differences. Virtually all schools organise a
participation. The public law educational
minimum of 32 teaching periods per week.
establishments adopt a system of union consultation that follows the rules of the
Lessons are evenly spread over five days from
dialogue between the government and the
Monday to Friday. Wednesday afternoon is free.
personnel employed by the government. For
Lessons start at 8 a.m. at the earliest, and finish
private law educational establishments, the
at 3 p.m. at the earliest, or at 5 p.m. at the latest.
regulations on education contain a modified
The lunch break lasts at least 50 minutes.
regulation on participation which obliges school councils* to discuss matters affecting staff in
In higher education, the academic year starts
advance. In both systems, staff representatives
between mid-September and 1 October,
are protected from dismissal and are given
depending on the course.
facilities to perform their job with complete
All courses start on the first day of the academic
independence. The participation arrangements
year so that it is not possible to start a course
were adapted in relation to the upscaling.
later in the year. Flemish higher education does not (yet) consist of a modular system*, but of a
At the Flemish level, the representative trade
system of study years. This means that every
unions participate in the dialogue with the
course programme has a clearly outlined basic
Government of Flanders for all reforms that
curriculum spread over several academic years.
affect staff. Therefore this dialogue is not only
Despite the introduction of the ects 3, the
3
limited to the conditions of employment, but
possibility of an individual annual programme
ECTS:
takes place with regard to any legislative
(iaj), and the many possible optional subjects, a
European (Course)
initiative which affects staff. The conditions of
large number of the course components are
Credit Transfer
employment are laid down in collective
compulsory and passing a study year is a
System.
employment agreements* negotiated between
condition of passing the following year.
the government and the representative trade unions. The representative trade unions are also represented in the Flemish Education Council.*
11
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2.2.1 Structure of education The diagram shown below illustrates the educational structure in Flanders. It includes 2.2
Levels of education
nursery and primary education, secondary education and tertiary education.4 HOGER ONDERWIJS SECUNDAIR ONDERWIJS 4 In addition to the levels of education included in the diagram, there are also types of education related to lifelong learning (part-time art education and adult education, with the continuing education, supervised individual study (bis), and adult basic education).
TERTIARY EDUCATION
years 27
18
VIII VII VI V IV III II I
DOCTORAL PROGRAMME
LICENTIATE
V
CANDIDATURE
IV III II I
UNIVERSITY EDUCATION
III II I EDUCATION AT COLLEGES OF HIGHER EDUCATION
TWO CYCLES (1)
18 16
VII VI V General
VII VI V Art
Vocational (2)
PART-TIME
Third Stage
16 14
IV III General
IV III Art
12
II I
II I
A First Stage
(1) education of
passed the second year of the third stage or who passed an entrance examination have access to the fourth stage in vocational education
12
NURSERY AND PRIMARY EDUCATION
academic level.
V IV III Vocational
IV III Technical Second Stage
14
(2) All pupils who
VII VI V Vocational
VII VI V Technical
6
VI V IV III II I PRIMARY EDUCATION
6
2,5 NURSERY EDUCATION
theoretical age
12
Preparing for vocational
B
SPECIAL EDUCATION
SECONDARY EDUCATION
Fourth Stage
ONE CYCLE
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2.2.2 Nursery and primary education
In the 1999-2000 school year, the number of pupils in mainstream primary education was
•
Structure and organisation
408,545. In the last few years, the school
Nursery and primary education comprises both
population in mainstream primary education
nursery education and primary education.
has increased every year by more than 1%. Again,
Nursery and primary schools provide nursery as
boys are just in the majority (51%). Subsidised
well as primary education, an autonomous
privately run education accounts for almost 64%
nursery school only provides nursery education,
of the pupils.
and an autonomous primary school only provides primary education.
Special nursery and primary education is aimed
Although nursery and primary education are
at children who need special help, temporarily or
separate from the structural point of view,
permanently. This can be because of a physical or
attempts are made to create an easy transition
mental disability, because of serious behavioural
from one to the other.
or emotional problems, or because of serious learning difficulties. Special nursery and primary
There exists mainstream and special nursery and
education is divided into 8 types, adapted to the
primary education
educational and developmental needs of
Mainstream nursery education is available for
particular groups of pupils:
children from 2.5 to 6 years. Between the ages of
• type 1: children with a slight mental disability;
2.5 and 3 years, children can only start
• type 2: children with a moderate or serious
mainstream nursery education at 6 times during
mental disability; • type 3: children with serious emotional and/or
the course of the school year* (viz. on the first school day after each of the five holiday periods
behavioural problems;
and on the first school day in February). From the
• type 4: children with a physical disability;
age of three, children can start at any moment of
• type 5: children admitted to hospital or in
the school year. The school entry dates don’t
quarantine for medical reasons; • type 6: visually impaired children;
apply to special education either. In the 1999-2000 school year, 238,887 infants
• type 7: children with a hearing impairment;
were enrolled in mainstream nursery education.
• type 8: children with serious learning
Boys were in the majority (51.1%). Approximately
difficulties.
two thirds of these children attend school in
A school for special nursery and primary
subsidised privately-run education.* In
education can organise one or more of these
mainstream nursery education, pre-schoolers
types of education. Type 1 and type 8 are not
who are not yet ready to transfer into primary
organised for special nursery education.
education at the age of 6 can spend another year
In the 1999-2000 school year, there were 1,767
in nursery education. In special nursery
children in special nursery education. 0.74% of all
education, the transition to primary education
nursery age children are in special education. The
can be postponed for 2 years.
number of pupils in special primary education increases by 3 to 4% every year. In the 1999-2000
Mainstream primary education is aimed at
school year, there were 25,727 pupils enrolled in
children from the ages of 6 to 12 and comprises 6
special education. In primary education
consecutive years. The start of primary education
(mainstream and special education together),
normally coincides with the start of compulsory
5.92% of pupils are currently attending special
education,* viz. the age of 6. This is also the age
schools.
at which the few children who do not have
In principle, special primary education lasts
received nursery education, normally start at
seven years. Therefore normally the transition to
primary school. A child can spend a minimum of
secondary education from special primary
5 and a maximum of 8 years in mainstream
education takes place at the age of 13, but a child
primary education.
can spend a maximum of 9 years in special 13
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primary education. Children who reach the age
nursery and primary education, to increase the
of 15 before 1 January of the current school year
special needs provision).
cannot continue in primary education anymore.
The government does not impose any minimum or maximum numbers with regard to the
Integrated nursery an d primary
number of pupils per class. The schools decide for
education is the result of the cooperation
themselves how they divide the pupils into
between mainstream nursery and primary
groups. Although there are other possible ways
education and special education. This education
of doing this, most nursery and primary schools
aims at allowing disabled children or children
use a year group system. In most cases, every
having learning or educational difficulties to
class has its own (nursery) teacher.
attend the lessons or activities in a school for mainstream education, with assistance provided
•
by special education. This may be temporary or
Although nursery education is not compulsory,
permanent, and can concern some of the lessons
almost all children receive nursery education in
or all of the lessons. As in the case of other
Flanders. The fact that children can go to school
measures (catering for a wider range of
at an early age compared to other countries, is
educational needs, special educational resources,
particularly an opportunity for children from
etc.), the aim of integrated education is to give as
deprived backgrounds. Nursery education tackles
many pupils as possible an opportunity to attend
every aspect of the children’s education and
mainstream schools. In the 1999-2000 school
encourages spontaneous growth so the children
year, 1,120 pupils received integrated education.
are mature enough to go to primary school. The
Content
child is taught skills (such as language The number of teachers in nursery and primary
acquisition, motor development, social skills,…)
education depends on the total number of
and an initial way of exploring the world.
teaching times allocated for funding
Primary education continues this process.
purposes. This means the number of lessons
The following subject areas are minimally
organised in a school that is funded or subsidised
tackled:
by the government. These teaching times are
• physical education;
calculated on the basis of statutory funding
• expressive education;
tables in accordance with the number of pupils
• Dutch Language;
on a particular date, as well as supplementary
• environmental studies;
teaching times. The supplementary teaching
• initiation into mathematics.
times are dedicated to religion/non-religious
Wherever possible, an attempt is made to
ethics/cultural awareness and in mainstream
interrelate the various learning areas. Since 1
nursery and primary education, to the
September 1998, the developmental objectives*
integration of non-Dutch speaking newcomers.*
have applied to mainstream nursery education.
In special nursery and primary education there may be additional lessons for integrated
In mainstream primary education, the
education, for continuing home-based education
educational provision covers the same areas as
(for children who cannot go to school) and for
mainstream nursery education, again in an
schools with a specific area of expertise which
interrelated way, wherever possible. A
work with seriously disabled children or children
mathematical introduction is replaced by actual
with multiple disabilities. In addition, there may
mathematics. ‘Learning to learn’ and ‘social
be supplementary teaching times for schools,
skills’ are provided as cross-curricular themes.
which have voluntarily amalgamated, and for
Since 1 September 1998, attainment targets* have
temporary education at home for the long-term
applied to mainstream primary education.
sick. Apart from all this, further additional lessons may be provided for temporary projects
Developmental objectives apply to special
(educational priority* and, in mainstream
nursery and primary education. Currently, 14
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2.2.3 Secondary education
developmental objectives have been drawn up for type 2 and type 8.
•
General
At the end of primary education, pupils who have
Secondary education is aimed at young people
achieved the targets of the curriculum receive a
from the ages of 12 to 18. In secondary education,
certificate or primary education. In special
all schools are mixed, apart from a few
primary education, children can also receive a
exceptions in subsidised privately-run
certificate in certain cases. If so, the certificate is
education.* However, the government does not
equivalent to a certificate gained in mainstream
impose an obligation on privately-run schools to
primary education.
provide mixed education.
•
•
Parents’ rights
Content, structure and organisation
In nursery and primary education, parents have
415,253 pupils receive secondary education, of
expressly been given a number of rights by law
which a small majority are boys (50.7%). The
regarding the school career of their children. For
falling trend in recent years continued during the
example, parents are free to choose a school for
1999-2000 school year (-1.2%). Three quarters of
their child. Publicly run nursery and primary
the pupils attend school in subsidised privately
schools cannot refuse children who comply with
run education.*
the entrance conditions. Privately-run nursery and primary schools can refuse children,
Since 1989, full-time secondary education has
provided they notify the parents in writing,
been organised in accordance with a un i fi ed
stating the reasons for this refusal within four
system in which a great deal of importance is
calendar days, and the refusal is not based on
attached to the core curriculum. This uniform
reasons which are unacceptable or in conflict
structure comprises stages, types of education,
with human dignity. The court can decide which
and study disciplines. The definitive choice of
reasons can be considered as being unacceptable
subjects is postponed until the second stage so
or in conflict with human dignity.
that pupils are first introduced to as many
The government only wants children who really
subjects as possible. The majority of teaching
need it, to receive special education. Therefore a
periods in the fi rst stage is devoted to the
special school statement is required for every
core curriculum and consists of:
admission to this type of education, showing that
• Dutch;
special education is necessary for the child and
• French and possibly English;
what type of special education is suitable.
• Mathematics;
Without this special school statement, parents
• History;
cannot enrol their child in special education. On
• Geography;
the other hand, parents whose child has been
• education in the arts;
referred to special nursery or primary education
• Sciences;
can decide later to send their child to
• Technology;
mainstream nursery or primary education.
• Physical education;
Parents can change their child’s school at any
• Religion or ethics.
moment in the school year.* The relationship between school and parents is determined partly
From the secon d stage, there are four
by the school regulations, which contain a range
different types of education and the pupil can
of agreements. In privately run education,* the
choose for a particular course of study. A number
parents sign the school regulations to show they
of these courses only start in the third or even
agree with them; in publicly run nursery and
fourth stage (mainly nursing).
primary education,* they merely sign to indicate
• In gen eral secon dary education (aso), the emphasis is on broad general education,
they have seen the regulations.
which particularly provides a firm foundation 15
education in Flanders
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Pagina 16
for going into higher education. 39.3% of
to pupils’ assessment. The inspectorate* does
pupils attend aso (1999-2000 school year).
control the quality of the evaluation in the school
• In tech n ical secon dary education
audits.
(tso), the emphasis is particularly on general and technical theoretical subjects. After tso,
Young people whose physical, psychological,
young people can carry out a profession or go
social or intellectual development is hampered
into higher education. This education also
by a disability, or learning or behavioural
includes practical lessons. 31.8% of pupils
difficulties, can receive special education. These
attend tso (1999-2000 school year).
young people temporarily or permanently need
• In secon dary education i n th e arts
special assistance and education adapted to their
(kso), a broad general education is combined
needs. The aim is to integrate the pupil as far as
with active art education. After kso, young
possible in the educational environment and in
people can carry out a profession or go on to
society, by means of an individual educational
higher education. 1.7% of pupils attend kso
and teaching provision. The years in special
(1999-2000 school year).
secondary education (BuSO), rarely coincide with
• Vocational secon dary education
the school years* in mainstream secondary
(bso) is a practical type of education in which
education. After all, a pupil only passes to the
young people learn a specific vocation in
next ‘learning stage’ when he/she is ready for
6
addition to receiving general education. 27.2%
this. The types of education6 that exist in special
See p. 13.
of pupils attend bso (including pupils in the
primary education are the same as those in
fourth stage of bso) (1999-2000 school year).
secondary education, except that type 8 is not organised at the level of secondary education. In
In the second and th i rd stage there is a
special secondary education, types of education
common and an optional part. In the optional
are organised in accordance with the type of
part, the core curriculum is supplemented with a
disability and in accordance with the
broad range of possible subjects. In the third
possibilities of the pupil:
stage, the specific education can be further
• Education type 1 provides social education
narrowed down with a view to the ultimate
aimed at the integration of the pupil in a
choice of profession or possible educational
sheltered environment;
careers in higher education.
• Education type 2 provides general and
A pupil gains the certificate of secondary
social education, and training for work aimed
education after successfully completing six years
at the pupils’ integration in a sheltered living
5
of aso, tso, or kso or seven years of bso.5 With a
and working environment;
For further details:
certificate of secondary education from any
see the diagram of the
school, type of education or course of study, a
and professional training aimed at the pupils’
educational structure
young person has unrestricted access to higher
integration in a ordinary living and working
(p.12).
education.
environment;
• Trai n i ng type 3 provides general social
• Education type 4 provides preparation for The class committee decides whether or not
studies in higher education and aims at the
a pupil has passed, in other words, whether a
pupils’ integration in active life.
pupil has efficiently achieved the objectives of
Within every type of special education, the
the curriculum. The class committee consists of
organisation and provision is adapted to the
the headteacher, and all the teachers who teach
specific educational and training needs of every
the pupil concerned. Every year is supported with
individual.
an orientation certificate, a certificate, a study
In full-time secondary education, 3.7 % of pupils
certificate or a diploma. The governing bodies*
attend special schools. As in other types of
can choose their own evaluation methods. With
education, the privately run network* attracts
the exception of a few basic rules, the education
most pupils, viz. 64%.
authorities do not impose any norms with regard
With the help of experts in special education, 16
education in Flanders
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Pagina 17
young people with a disability can also be
school regulations. The school regulations are a
accepted by a school for mainstream secondary
document containing the mutual rights and
education through the system of integrated
duties of parents and pupils, on the one hand,
education (gon).* In the 1999-2000 school year,
and the school board, on the other hand. In
456 pupils received integrated education in
addition, they state the applicable rules with
secondary education.
regard to order and discipline and for the procedure for appealing against exam results.
From the age of 15 or 16, pupils can transfer to a
These regulations must be discussed in advance
part-time system. Young people can follow
by the participation council or school council*
training in part-time vocational secondary
on which parents are also represented.
education (dbso). They can also opt for a work
At the moment there are increasing demands to
placement while receiving entrepreneurship
collect together the rights and duties of pupils to
training or for a recognised part-time training
establish a legal position for pupils, and to allow
course.
minors to play a role themselves - as well as
Dbso is organised at a part-time education
their parents – in exercising their educational
centre. The pupils take 15 lessons per week. The
rights.
aim is to supplement this training with a job 2.2.4 Tertiary education
that should correspond to the training in the centre if possible. With this type of education it is possible to gain a certificate, though this is not
In Flanders the general condition for admission
equivalent to the certificate granted at the end of
to tertiary education is the Flemish certificate of
full-time vocational secondary education. Pupils
secondary education. There is no numerus
who wish to follow practical training for a self-
clausus in Flanders, but there are entrance
employed profession, can conclude an
examinations for every student who wishes to
apprenticeship contract with the head of a
take a degree in higher education in nautical
company/trainer. The learning agreement
sciences, or a masters degree (in a particular
provides for 4 days of practical training in a
discipline of art) or a university degree in civil
small or medium sized business (sme), or with a
engineering, civil engineering- architecture,
self-employed person and 1 day of theoretical
dentistry or medicine.
training per week. At the end of the training,
A foreign certificate that is recognised by a
successful trainees receive an ‘apprenticeship’
Government of Flanders Act, a Belgian law, a
certificate.
European directive, or an international
In the 1999-2000 school year, 5276 pupils (aged
agreement, gives direct access to the initial
15-18) were enrolled in DBSO. DBSO was attended
training at a college of higher education or
by 449 pupils aged 18-25.
university.
•
•
Participation
Tertiary education provided by the colleges of higher education
Since 1 January 2000, a school in secondary education has been obliged to establish a pupi l
The Government of Flanders Act of 13 July 1994
counci l if one third of the pupils request this.
on the colleges of higher education in the
This council has advisory powers for all matters
Flemish Community, led to a revolution in
that directly affect pupils. The council must also
tertiary education outside universities.
receive the necessary information and
The 164 existing independent colleges for higher
infrastructural and administrative support from
education with a complete curriculum, merged
the school management team. In recent years,
on 1 September 1995, forming 29 colleges of
the regulations have incorporated more
higher education. There was a fundamental
provisions that benefit the legal position of the
change in the relationship between the
pupil. For example, since 1991, every secondary
government and the colleges of higher education.
school for mainstream education must have
Former centralised and detailed regulations were 17
education in Flanders
11-06-2001
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Pagina 18
replaced by a management regime aimed at
(teacher) training. In addition, they can also
achieving a balanced combination of broad
organise continuing education for college
autonomy* and responsibility for the colleges of
graduates. In general this consists of courses of a
higher education. They were given a lump sum
limited length, focusing on in-service training
for funding their personnel policy and general
and further training.
operation.
In the 1999-2000 academic year there were 98,536 students at colleges of higher education.
The task of the colleges of higher education was
The number of female students has continued to
extended so that they could respond flexibly and
increase in recent years and currently accounts
appropriately to the needs and challenges of
for 53.6% of the total student population at the
society, today and in the future. In addition to
colleges of higher education.
providing education, applied research and the provision of social services are also amongst the
The basic courses can be organised in 11
key tasks of the colleges of higher education.
disciplines: The basic courses cover either one
Finally, the new regulations form the framework
cycle (3 years) or 2 cycles (normally 2 years each).
within which the colleges of higher education
The second cycle of the basic courses for
can present themselves at an international level.
commercial engineering, architecture, a degree
The colleges of higher education show that they
in product development, a master’s degree in
fulfil their tasks satisfactorily by being
product design, and a master’s degree in music is
accountable to the public and by developing a
divided into three study years.
system of internal and external quality control.*
There are different possible options in the same
The government evaluates the quality of these
basic course. With the exception of the courses in
processes.
the disciplines visual and audio-visual arts, music and dramatic art and education, an option
Colleges of higher education can organise basic
is related to a common basis of at least one third
training, initial (teacher) training and advanced
and at most two thirds of the course programme.
Basic courses Disciplines which contain courses
Discipline which only contains
Discipline which only
of both 1 and of 2 cycles
a course of 1 cycle
contains a course of 2 cycles
Architecture
Social and community work
Visual and audio-visual arts
Product development Applied linguistics
Biotechnology Health care Commercial sciences and business studies Industrial science and technology Music and dramatic art Education
18
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Pagina 19
The basic courses of 1 cycle are focused on
The colleges of higher education which organise
the acquisition of professional skills supported
basic courses of 2 cycles in the disciplines
by scientific knowledge. The aim is to give the
commercial sciences and business studies, visual
students practical and professional skills so that
and audio-visual arts or music and dramatic arts,
they are able to enter a profession after this
can organise, following on these basic courses,
study. In the 1999-2000 academic year, 71,849
initial teacher training at an academic level.
students were enrolled in a course of one cycle.
Students who obtain the certificate which
This accounts for 72.9% of the total number of
provides a qualification for teaching in upper
students at colleges of higher education. These
secondary education can become teachers in the
courses of one cycle in particular have large
second and third ( and fourth) stages in
numbers of female students (58.4%).
secondary education.
The basic courses of 2 cycles have an
Advanced teach er trai n i ng is aimed at
academic character and are based on scientific
promoting mobility in the teaching profession.
knowledge. They contribute to general education
For example, with advanced teacher training, a
as a whole and are focussed in particular on the
nursery school teacher can also become a
application of science, independent thinking and
primary teacher. Only students who have gained
the development of creativity. 26,687 students (27.1%
a qualification in initial teacher training can
of the total student population in colleges of higher
receive advanced teacher training. In the 1999-
education) received this sort of education in the
2000 academic year, 16,095 students received
1999-2000 academic year. Male students were in
initial teacher training, 409 students received
the majority in these courses of 2 cycles (59.4%).
initial teacher training at an academic level, and 926 students received advanced teacher training.
The advanced courses comprise at least one year of study that can also be taken part-time. They
The study hours amount to at least 1,500 and
follow on the basic courses in higher education
at most 1,800 hours for every year. This concerns
and are aimed at supplementing or extending
the actual hours of study for the student, not
the basic course, or at the study of a specialist
merely the contact hours. Whether the
area in a discipline in greater detail. They are
theoretical study hours correspond with the real
only open to students who already have a
number of hours must be determined in
diploma of tertiary education. The colleges of
consultation with the students.
higher education independently determine the
For every course, the college of higher education
number and nature of their advanced courses.
itself decides on the form and content of the
The social value of these degrees is closely
course programmes. The course programme
related to the quality of the course. In the 1999-
consists of a coherent programme of educational
2000 academic year, 1,359 students took an
and other study activities aimed at achieving
advanced course.
clearly defined objectives related to the knowledge, insight, skills and attitudes which a
The structure of teacher training was thoroughly
student who completes the course must have
revised in 1997 (Government of Flanders Act of 16
acquired. The management of the college of
April 1996).
higher education divides every course into study
Teacher training courses are divided into:
years. Every study year comprises a coherent
• initial teacher training;
programme of educational and other study
• initial teacher training at an academic level;
activities.
• advanced teacher training. Initial teacher training of 1 cycle trains students to become a nursery teacher, a primary teacher or a qualified lower secondary school teacher (teacher in secondary education for the first and second stages). 19
education in Flanders
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•
19:52
Pagina 20
Tertiary education provided by
integration of education and research. Academic
the universities
education is based on basic research and
The Government of Flanders Act on the
contributes as a whole to general education,
un iversiti es in the Flemish Community of 12
preparing the student to independently practise
June 1991 was aimed at the fundamental reform
a scientific discipline or apply scientific
of university education. The relationship
knowledge.
between the universities and the government was redefined in terms of giving the universities
The university authorities determine a
greater autonomy* and financial responsibility.
programme of courses for every degree. This consists of a coherent programme of educational
There are six universities in Flanders: the
and other study activities focused on the
Catholic University of Brussels, the Catholic
achievement of clearly defined objectives related
University of Leuven, the Limburg University
to knowledge, insight, skills and attitudes that a
Centre, the University of Antwerp, the University
graduate must have.
of Ghent and the Free University of Brussels.
The university authorities should relate clearly
The University of Antwerp has a confederated
defined course programmes to the conditions in
structure and is an association of the University
connection with (access to) a profession laid
Centre Antwerp, the University Institute of
down by law, Government of Flanders Act, or
Antwerp, and the University Faculties of St.
European directives.
Ignatius. The Limburg University Centre and the Dutch
Universities can organise basic courses in 18
University of Maastricht founded the
disciplines. These comprise approximately 80
Transnational University of Limburg, together
recognised course programs. Students can enter
with the governments of Flanders and the
into full-time or part-time university education.
Netherlands, in the context of the growing
In the 1999-2000 academic year, there were
7
internationalisation of university education and
56,740 students enrolled.7 Female students
These figures do
the creation of a European knowledge union.
account for the majority (53.3%).
not include the enrolments at the
The Government of Flanders has assigned three
Royal Military School
key tasks to the university as a whole. A university
or the Protestant
is an institute that is active at the same time in
theological Faculty.
the field of academic education, research and
Disci pli n es Philosophy and moral sciences
scientific services, in the interests of society.
Theology, theological sciences and canon law
The universities inform the Government of
Language and literature
Flanders about their achievements and policy options, amongst other things, in the annual
History
accounts and annual reports (public
Archaeology and history of art
accountability).
Law, notary sciences and criminology
The universities provide basic courses, advanced
Psychology and educational sciences
academic courses (supplementary and specialised courses), academic teacher training,
Economic and applied economic sciences
medical training and doctoral programmes. In
Political and social sciences
addition, the universities can also organise postacademic training, consisting of courses of a
Social health sciences
limited length focusing on all sorts of in-service training and further training. In the 1999-2000
Physical education, rehabilitation sciences
academic year, 63,482 students were enrolled.
and physiotherapy
University courses are characterised by the 20
education in Flanders
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Pagina 21
Sciences
Students in the second cycle of a university basic course can follow this academic teacher training,
Applied sciences
but the ‘qualification for upper secondary school
Applied biological sciences
teaching’ can only be awarded when the student has gained the degree for the second cycle.
Medicine
A doctoral programme is focused on the
Dentistry
preparation of a doctoral thesis. The doctoral course concludes with a degree. A doctorate
Veterinary science
based on a thesis concludes with the academic
Pharmaceutical sciences
title of ‘doctor’ after a public defence of the thesis. Graduates of university degrees of the second cycle and holders of specific degrees in
The basic courses are divided into 2 cycles. The
higher education of 2 cycles (Master’s in
fi rst cycle concludes with a first candidate’s
commercial sciences and commercial
degree and lasts 2 years. For the medical and
engineering) can enter directly a doctoral course.
veterinary course, the first cycle lasts 3 years.
Those who have other degrees delivered by
The secon d cycle usually lasts 2 years. However, for some courses the second cycle lasts 3 or even 4 years (cf. medicine). Most courses
colleges of higher education of 2 cycles can also take a doctoral programme after an entrance examination.
conclude with a licentiate’s (master’s) degree. However, some courses have a specific title, such as pharmacist, medical doctor, agricultural engineer, civil engineer, civil engineer- architect, veterinary surgeon, commercial engineer and
The study hours amount to at least 1,500 and at most 1,800 hours per year. This is the student’s real study load, including lectures and practicals, writing theses, executing research tasks, work for
dentist.
seminars, work experience, the individual work
In the light of the Sorbonne and Bologna Declarations, the current structure will certainly be modified. Discussions on the specific
on the subject matter, and examinations (preparation). The estimate for every part of the course is determined in consultation with the
application of the principles in the Declarations
student, and checks are regularly carried out to
are currently taking place.
ensure that the theoretical study load is correct.
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 studies (gas). A specialist course is aimed at increasing a special expertise in a particular discipline in greater depth. At least two thirds of the course consists of course components that are not included in the basic course. The course concludes with the academic degree in specialist studies (ggs). Academic teacher training concludes with a ‘qualification for upper secondary school teaching’.
21
education in Flanders
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2.2.5 Lifelong learning
Part-time education in the arts is currently confronted with some big challenges. The
•
Part-time education in the arts (dko)
Government of Flanders wishes to simplify and
Part- time education in the arts is aimed at
modernise the regulations, aims at upscaling to
artistic education and providing a contribution to
ensure a more rational management and greater
personal development as a whole. The
autonomy for the governing bodies (school
participant learns to critically approach and
councils). At the same time, it wishes to enhance
experience all art forms, as well as practising
the accountability of part-time education in the
these art forms him/herself, individually or in
arts and stress its complementary character in
group (e.g., in an orchestra, dance group, or
relation to ordinary daytime education.
theatre company). In addition, part-time education in the arts gives
•
young people who opt for a professional career in
In Flanders there are several publicly funded
the arts the possibility to thoroughly prepare for
education, training and developmental
higher education in the arts.
provisions for adults. The Department of
Finally, part-time education in the arts is an
Education is responsible for a substantial
important step in a high quality social and
proportion of this range of part-time adult
cultural life.
education.
Adult education
Within part-time adult education, 3 different Dko is a supplementary form of education aimed
types of education can be distinguished:
at children, young people and adults who enrol
continuing education, supervised individual
voluntarily and pay an enrolment fee for this.
study (bis) and adult basic education.
In part-time education in the arts there are four different disciplines: visual arts, music, wordcraft
With more than 150,000 participants, continuing
and dance. Every discipline has its own structure,
education is the most important sector in adult
with levels and options that are laid down by
education.
law.
Continuing education is education that
Children can start art education from the age of
supplements or is separate from the initial
6. For the disciplines of music, wordcraft and
educational career of participants and aims to
dance, the starting age is 8.
impart knowledge, improve skills and attitudes.
Every discipline comprises different levels: lower
This can be useful to function in society,
level, intermediate level and higher level. It is
participate in further education, practice a
only in the discipline of the visual arts that there
profession or master a language. It enables the
is also a specialist level. Upon successfully
participant to obtain a recognised diploma,
completing every level, a certificate is awarded to
certificate or qualification.
show the level that has been achieved.
Participants must have received full-time compulsory education* in the past, and comply
Part-time education in the arts is provided in 71%
with specific entrance conditions depending on
of the municipalities in Flanders and the Brussels
the course they have chosen. The participant
Capital Region. This form of education is
pays a contribution that depends on the number
widespread. The sector currently comprises 166
of hours of the course. However, in certain cases,
colleges, of which 100 are for music, literature
the participant may be exempted from payment.
and dance, and 66 are for visual arts. 88% of the
Continuing education is provided by recognised
colleges fall under urban* and municipal*
centres for adult education which are funded or
education.
subsidised and are organised by community
Approximately 140,000 students attend dko;
education, towns and municipalities, provinces
most are under the age of 18.
or non-profit making organisations. Currently, there are 133 centres for adult education throughout Flanders and the Brussels Capital 22
education in Flanders
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The provision of continuing education is very
Supervised individual study (bis) makes it
varied and broad. It is organised at the level of
possible to study as an individual. This type of
secondary education (33 areas of study) and at
education meets the situation that adults find
the level of one-cycle higher education (8
themselves in. The participant does not have to
categories).
move: education comes to him. BIS bridges
Two organisational models are used:
distances, can be spread over time, and above all,
• th e li n ear courses: these courses last one
is very flexible. The participant can decide
or more course years. The lessons are spread
individually on his own pace of study.
over 32 to 40 weeks in the period from the
Bis education is in fact correspondence education
beginning of September to the end of June;
and uses printed courses supplemented with the
• th e modular courses: the subject matter
necessary educational materials. A course
is subdivided into a number of modules in
consists of a number of learning packages and
which theory and practice are taught in an
homework tasks. A mentor, who will provide
integrated way. Dividing these into units
extra explanation where it is needed, corrects the
enables the participant to determine his/her
homework tasks.
own study load. In this way, the participant
The time needed to complete a bis course
can determine the length of the study. A
depends on a number of factors: the number of
modular course can be spread over a whole
learning packages per course, the volume of the
year or over part of a year. Every centre for
learning package, the level of difficulty of the
adult education is free to determine the
subject matter, the time available to the
spreading of the course.
participant to study, etc. Therefore, there are no compulsory times within which a bis course
Since the reform of 1999 (Government of
must be completed. Access to this type of
Flanders Act of 2 March 1999), adult education
education is completely free. No special
has been able to respond more quickly and
conditions are imposed in terms of age or
appropriately to the individual needs and
certificates acquired. However, there is a modest
requirements of industry in every region. The
course fee. The amount depends on the number
Government of Flanders Act has already led to a
of learning packages comprising the course.
significant number of mergers between
However, in certain cases, a participant may be
organisations, representing the first important
exempted from these costs.
step towards upscaling. In this way they can act
At the moment bis covers 7 disciplines:
as full partners in relation to the other education
languages, mathematics, economics,
providers and industry within the region.
administration, computer studies, sciences and
Up to now, the reform of continuing education
technology. In addition, there are a number of
has mainly been at the secondary level.
courses that cannot be included in these
Currently, work is being carried out on
disciplines.
integrating higher continuing education in tertiary education.
In recent years, there has been a real change of character in distance learning, so that this type
In terms of content, the modular structure is
of education has become more dynamic. The new
being further developed. In the near future, a
name, bis, is a symbol of this reform that has
modular structure will be put into practice in
resulted in a great increase in the number of
adult education, which is completely compatible
enrolments. The results of this modernisation
with the modular structure in full-time
are:
secondary education.
• digitalisation: all courses are now available
Combi n ed education is also on the
electronically, and are automatically printed
programme for the near future. This is a
by a printing-on-demand system, depending
combination of contact education and distance
on the demand and the pace at which the
education.
participant studies. In future, a number of 23
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11-06-2001
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Pagina 24
courses will be provided on the Internet in a
In Flanders, there are 29 centres for adult basic
so-called electronic learning environment.
education. These centres try to provide a broad
This guarantees a combination of interactivity
and varied range of basic education with
between the subject matter provided and the
different programmes that are put on in a
participant, but also between the mentor and
balanced way and coordinated with each other.
the participant and between participants
They cover the following areas:
themselves. Experience-based learning and
• language and numeracy skills: the acquisition
constructivism are key words in this new
and improvement of reading and writing
educational concept.
skills, speaking and listening skills in Dutch as
• a modern marketing policy: bis has an easily
a mother tongue and as a second language.
identifiable image, based on a logo and the
Therefore the centres play an important role
streamlined design of the course materials. A
in teaching Dutch to immigrants. For
call centre was established where the
immigrants, there are also literacy courses in
potential participant can obtain all the information about BIS on a free telephone
their own language (Turkish and Arabic); • social skills and knowledge, and social
number. It is possible to enrol through this call
orientation. This concerns the acquisition of
centre, but also online on the website
competences needed for the various roles which apply in social life, and which are a
Some people have literacy or numeracy
basic requirement to operate as a coping and
problems, or they may lack other basic skills that are necessary to cope in our demanding society.
self-sufficient adult; • orientation and preparation for further
They have an opportunity to catch up where they have fallen behind with adult basic education, so
education, vocational training or work; • stimulation and encouragement. These are the
that they can participate fully in social life. In
activities and programmes to motivate
this way the government wishes to contribute to
potential participants to participate in basic
combating the divisions in society.
education.
Adult basic education is aimed at adults with a low level of education, viz., people over the age of
At the moment, approximately 18,000 people
18 who do not have a certificate of primary
participate in basic education. Approximately the
education, or a certificate of the second stage of
same number of Belgians and non-Belgians
secondary education. Immigrants are admitted to
participate. The majority (approximately 60%)
adult basic education if they have had a
are women. The courses in language skills are
maximum of 10 years of education in their
particularly successful (80% of the total number
country of origin.
of participant hours).
Due to a lack of schooling or to limited schooling,
In contrast with continuing education and BIS,
these people do not have enough basic
courses in basic education are free of charge.
knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be able to deal with personal, social or professional situations and participate fully in modern society.
24
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2.3.1 Pupil Guidance Centres The Pupil guidance centre or clb is a service funded by the government which pupils, parents, 2.3
Current points for attention
teachers and school management teams can consult for information, help or supervision. The clb monitors the welfare of pupils. It also plays an important role in the contacts between pupils, parents, the school and welfare and health establishments. This supervision is free of change and is based on four important strands: • learning and studying; • the school career; • preventive health care; • social and emotional development. In this supervision the pupil has a central place. Everything takes place in an atmosphere of trust and dialogue. In principle, the initiative always comes from the applicant. Therefore the supervision only starts when a pupil or parent has taken the initiative in this respect. If a school asks the clb to supervise a pupil, the centre will always first expressly ask for the parents’ consent (for a pupil under the age of 14), or ask the pupil him/herself (from the age of 14). The supervision provided by the clb has a multidisciplinary character and focuses particularly on pupils who are at risk in educational terms because of their social background and situation. The clb guarantees confidentiality with regard to information obtained and works independently. Supervision by a clb is only compulsory in the case of truancy and some medical examinations. In addition to the medical examination, the clb is responsible for preventive health care for young people. This is aimed at monitoring, maintaining or promoting the health of pupils. The cooperation between the school and clb is drawn up in a policy plan or contract. In order to ensure the quality, the clb must draw up a quality handbook and a quality plan. An independent clb inspectorate* supervises its implementation.
25
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2.3.2 Communication
tackled in every publication in an appropriate way at the same time. This horizontal
Good education requires strong commitment
approach promotes cooperation, dialogue and
from everyone concerned: school management
active involvement. An independent editorial
teams, teachers, parents and pupils. For this
team in the Department of Education
reason, the Department of Education informs
produces the magazines. Teachers, pupils,
each of these groups in a different way. Some
educators and supervisors all cooperate on the
examples of this approach are given below.
magazine. The editors work together with a broad network of other ministries,
• Education In foli n e: first point of contact
departments, organisations, specialists,
for anyone with questions about education.
researchers, advisory bodies, etc. Klasse is a
The Infoline answers the questions itself, and
unique communication project that is also
where necessary refers the person asking the
being copied in other countries.
question to the right person/agency. The service is mainly available by telephone (free
• Tours of Flan ders: school management
0800 number), but many questions are also
teams are a crucial link in the implementation
asked by email, fax or letter.
of an educational policy. For this reason, the Department of Education tours around
• Klasse: every month, teachers, parents and
Flanders at least once every school year. For
pupils receive a free monthly magazine. These
every province, the administration (for every
3 magazines are realistic and practical, and are
level of education) gets together with the
widely read. The total circulation of the
school management teams; they provide
magazines is more than 1 million copies per
information about new initiatives,
month. This contemporary form of
regulations, and exchange ideas about these
government communication informs every
with the school management teams. The
target group about bringing up and educating
agendas of these tours are drawn up together
children, stimulates action and participation,
with the school management teams. They can
is involved in training and the prevention of
indicate which topics they would like to
problem behaviour. Individual problems (such
discuss.
as drugs, truancy, fear of failure, etc.) are
Title
Target group
Scope
Klasse for teachers
teachers in primary and secondary education
100%
+ teacher trainees
(180,000 copies)
parents with children between 2.5 and 14
92%
(primary education + first stage of
(670,000 copies)
Klasse for parents
secondary education) Maks!
pupils between 14 and 18
92%
(Klasse for young people)
(second and third stageof secondary education)
(210,000 copies)
Klasse for children
pupils between 10 and 12
to be published in the
(third stage of primary education)
2001-2002 school year
www.klasse.be
anyone can use the internet to read publications for the other target groups, find up-to-date educational news, consult files, participate in discussion forums, etc.
26
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• Schooldi rect: an electronic
primary education) give schools an opportunity
communication channel for school
to apply for additional periods. The schools must
management teams in compulsory education.
demonstrate, amongst other things, that they
This consists of an electronic newsletter that is
work with the target groups concerned to a
sent to the school management teams by e-
sufficient extent, and must have a plan approved
mail once a week, and of a website with an
in which they describe how these periods will be
exchange forum. In this way, the school
used.
management teams have a direct
Other initiatives that consist mainly of schools
communication channel with the
applying for additional periods are the
government: they can respond to policy
‘guaranteed periods and protective measures’ in
proposals, make suggestions and are informed
the context of the non-discrimination policy,
directly, quickly and efficiently about
‘schools in peripheral and language border
educational news that is relevant to them.
municipalities’ and the new project ‘schools with specific needs’.
• Study an d i n formation days (sid-ins): in many cases, making the right choice of
•
study after secondary education avoids
Schools that are given additional periods can
‘failure’ in higher education. This choice starts
make use of different supportive measures. There
with information about the different
are educational advisors seconded across the
possibilities of study. For this reason the
networks who can supervise schools. The most
Department of Education organises study
important tasks of the Centre for the Study of
information days for pupils in the last year of
Dutch as a Second Language (NT2), the Centre for
secondary education in every province,
Intercultural Education (ICO), and the project
together with the pupil guidance centres*
Scientific Support for Extending the Special
(clb). At the sid-ins, tertiary education and
Needs Provision, are research, training and the
other education providers are present, so that
development of materials. They usually work
young people have a good idea of the possible
free of charge for the schools involved. In
courses of study and have an opportunity to
addition, Brussels schools can apply for extra
ask questions of the experts of the different
support for the implementation of educational
courses.
priority and extending the special needs
Support
provision. 2.3.3 Target group policy
Finally, there are a number of projects focusing on particular target groups. For example, for the
The Government of Flanders devotes particular
young children of bargemen, there is a nursery
attention to the educational problems of specific
class in Antwerp, and a school network is being
target groups. Therefore different projects have
built up where these children can go when they
been established in the last ten years, both at
sail along with their parents. There are also a few
every level of education and across the different
schools that have been able to recruit additional
levels of education. These projects differ
teachers, specifically for the education of
markedly as regards objectives, administrative
children of caravan dwellers. Another project in
management, and methods of funding,
primary education is aimed at promoting the
supervision and monitoring.
interaction between the school and the
•
Additional periods8
community through art. Within the vlor,* a
8
curriculum for minority language and culture
In primary education,
The educational priority projects (focusing on
teaching (oetc) is being drawn up, and its
reference is made to
children with immigrant backgrounds in
implementation is being coordinated. In tertiary
‘teaching times’; in
primary and secondary education) and the
education, the government subsidises a teacher
secondary education,
extended special needs provision projects
training course in Islam at Erasmushogeschool in
there are ‘teaching
(focusing on educationally deprived children in
Brussels. A number of teacher training courses
periods’.
27
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cooperate with a project aimed at promoting
to the whole of primary education and
both the intake and the transfer of immigrant
nursery education (for children from the age
students, as well as ensuring that the training
of 4), this objective will not be achieved until a
itself responds better to the recent developments
later date. In addition, the federal Telecom Act
in the educational field in terms of educational
ensured that schools have an opportunity to
priority and extension of the special needs
be connected to the Internet cheaply with
provision.
isdn technology.
For non-Dutch speaking newcomers under the
• In order to support schools with the
age of 18, reception classes are organised both in
introduction of ict, various projects were set
primary and secondary education. The quick
up. The publication of an ict step-by-step plan
acquisition of sufficient skills in the Dutch
should enable schools to draw up their own
language is central so that these children can
policy on ict. In addition, databases have been
take part in the ordinary education system. The
developed with descriptions of Dutch
centres for adult education and the centres for
educational software. The possibilities of
adult basic education organise courses in Dutch
online resources were explored in the ‘virtual
as a second language for adults speaking a different language, with a higher and lower level
school’ project. • In the first place, teachers must be convinced
of education respectively. NT2 correspondence
of the added value of using ict. In addition,
courses recently also started in supervised
they are expected to be sufficiently competent
individual study (bis).
in the field of ict to integrate these innovations in their lessons. Therefore in
2.3.4 Information and communication
terms of training, the policy must work at two
technologies (ict)
levels at the same time. First and foremost, there is the training of the next generation of
Since 1996, the Government of Flanders has
teachers. Attention to the implementation of
implemented a policy of promoting ict in
ict in teacher training is a policy priority in
education. It aims to encourage schools to
the short and medium term. Secondly, is it also
integrate ict in their lessons by means of
necessary to work with the current generation
information and awareness-raising campaigns,
of teacher by providing in-service training.
in-service training, subsidies for infrastructure,
Currently there are five regional expertise
and project funding. In this respect, the emphasis
networks that are actively involved in helping
is on the educational use of the new media. For
teachers to catch up by providing in-service
this reason, it was deliberately decided not to opt
training for ict at the educational, technical
for separate subjects. Pupils learn what ict is and how to use it, while they acquire the subject
and organisational level. • The European countries are faced with similar
matter in the various subjects and disciplines.
needs and problems with regard to the introduction of new media in their education.
The policy of promoting ict is based on 5 strands:
Therefore the establishment of a joint
• Providing the necessary adapted basic
international platform where experiences can
infrastructure: the pc/kd action programme,
be exchanged and initiatives can be drawn up
which made subsidies available to purchase
together was by no means an unnecessary
the necessary hardware and software and
luxury. The European School Network was
provide in-service training, makes sure that
established in 1998 as a framework for
Flemish schools have a modern basic
networking, and for the exchange of
infrastructure. The original aim of pc/kd was
information and projects.
to provide 1 pc for every ten pupils by 2002 in
However, international cooperation can also
the three highest forms of primary education,
be important at other levels. For example,
and in all of secondary education. By
educational software is strongly language-
extending the target group in the meantime
related. In the context of the gent28
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agreements9 there is close cooperation with
cooperation agreements. At the moment,
9
the Netherlands in this field.
approximately 40 of these agreements exist.
gent: Entire European
They can relate to every level of education and
Dutch Language Area.
• The ict policy must be underpinned by research and will have to be regularly
comprise specialisation and research grants as
evaluated. In December 2000 a three-day ict
well as the exchange of experts, officials or
forum was organised in this context, where
professors, etc.
teachers, school management teams, youth
In the European Union there are two specific
work, industry and policy makers scrutinised
education and training programmes: Socrates
the ict policy. Following this forum, a new
and Leonardo Da Vinci.
policy plan will be developed with new
• The second Socrates programme runs up to
emphases, such as the expansion of the
2006 on the initiative of the European Union.
Infrastructure programmes, the improvement
This comprises different fields of action
of ict applications, attention to safe internet
including Erasmus, Comenius, Lingua, etc.
use, the creation of a new educational portal
It supports actions in the field of exchanges
site, etc.
of people, information and experiences related to the education system and the education
2.3.5 Internationalisation
policy. • The Leonardo Da Vi nci programme is
Participating in international programmes has
aimed at the development of the European
been an important matter for education in
dimension in vocational and technical
Flanders for a long time. Two sorts of
training and at improving the quality,
programmes are distinguished: on the one hand,
innovative capacity and accessibility of the
cooperation with other countries, in a bilateral or
vocational training systems and provisions in
multilateral form, and on the other hand, the
the participating countries. Transnational
participation in the education and training
partnership projects, exchanges, studies and
programmes of the European Union.
analyses are subsidised by this programme.
The Klavertje Dri e programme is an
In the context of the Council of Europe, the
example of bilateral cooperation. This supports
Department of Education participates in the
the exchange of pupils in primary and secondary
activities of the ‘Comité Directeur pour la
schools in the three communities of Belgium, in
Coopération Culturelle’ and the subcommittees
cooperation with the Prince Filip Foundation.
for education which fall under this. Attention must be devoted in particular to projects related
At the educational level, Flanders co-operates
to human rights, democracy and tolerance.
closely with the Netherlands on the basis of the gent agreements (1990), for example, by
In the oecd, the Department of Education is
organising seminars and encouraging
represented in the ‘Education Committee’, the
cooperation between educational
‘Institution for Management of Higher
establishments. The Cross-border
Education’, and the ‘Centre for Educational
Educational Cooperation project (gros)
Research and Innovation’, and participates in
was established with the Netherlands in 1995 for
different projects related to education indicators
primary and secondary education, to organise
and lifelong learning.*
exchanges between classes. Since 1999, gros has been incorporated in primary education in the
In the context of unesco, it participates in various
broader policy on n eigh bouri ng
international conferences. For example, it is
countri es.
working on the follow-up of the World Conference for Higher Education (Paris 1998), and the
In addition, bilateral cooperation is also possible in the context of cultural agreements and 29
conference on ‘Education for all’ (Dakar, 2000).
education in Flanders
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2.3.6 Quality control and promoting quality
The key tasks of the inspectorate are: • to inspect the quality of education;
•
Quality control in nursery, primary and
• the recognition of educational establishments
secondary education, part-time education in the arts, adult education and clbs*
or clbs. In order to achieve these key tasks, it examines
Quality control and promoting quality in Flemish
whether the attainment targets or
education is based on three pillars:
developmental objectives are being achieved, and
• the attainment targets: a frame of reference
whether the other organic obligations are being
for quality with a clear social basis; • the inspectorate: a professional system of external supervision; • educational supervision: professional internal support.
properly observed (e.g., applying a timetable based on the core curriculum). It does this on the basis of a ‘school audit’ or ‘centre audit’ (for clbs and adult education). While auditing, the inspectorate acts as a team and inspects the operation of the entire
With the attai nment targets the Flemish
school/centre in one go. In principle, all
Community clearly indicates its minimum
establishments are audited once every six years.
expectations with regard to nursery, primary and
The audit is carried out on the basis of the cipo
10
secondary education. In this way it can
instrument 10 adapted to every level of
cito: Context - Input -
guarantee its inhabitants a good quality
education. With this instrument, the inspection
Proces - Output.
education.
teams are able to gain a fairly accurate picture of
Attainment targets are minimum objectives that
the strong and weak points of a school/centre.
the majority of pupils should aim for and achieve
The results are published in a report that is
at a particular educational level and in a
available to the public.
particular discipline. In concrete terms, this
After the audit, the inspectorate presents the
concerns qualities with regard to knowledge,
minister with a recommendation related to the
insight, attitudes and skills. There are both
continued recognition of the establishment. This
subject-related attainment targets and cross-
frequently concerns recognition under certain
curricular attainment targets.
conditions, so that schools/centres are stimulated
In nursery education, special education and the
to improve their quality.
first year b (secondary education), we do not use
Every year the inspectorate records its findings in
attainment targets, but developmental
a detailed report (Onderwijsspiegel), which is
objectives. These are skills that a school must
presented to the Parliament of Flanders so that
aim to achieve, but does not necessarily achieve.
the quality evaluations can be followed up in the
Every governing body* or school board must
policy.
incorporate the attainment targets or developmental objectives in the curriculum. A
Every education network has its own
curriculum contains a systematic inventory of
educational advisors. At the request of the
the objectives and contents that are to be
schools, they are responsible for educational and
achieved in a subject or discipline, and describes
methodological advisory services (innovation
the educational methods used for this purpose.
projects, self-evaluation projects, support initiatives). Every year, they submit a report and
The Inspectorate of the Flemish Community
a supervision plan to justify their actions to the
consists of five inspection teams:
government.
• the educational inspectorate, with an inspectorate for nursery and primary
•
education, secondary education, part-time
There is one system of (internal and external)
education in the arts and adult education;
quality control for the whole of tertiary
• the inspectorate for the pupil guidance centres.
Quality control in tertiary education
education. The emphasis is on the shared responsibility of these establishments for the 30
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external quality assessment of their educational
devoted to the continued modularisation* of
activities. In concrete terms, this means that
education at every level.
colleges of higher education and universities
The centres for adult education are responsible
must cooperate with joint visitation committees.
for making lifelong learning for adults a real
The vlhora* and the vlir* play an important
possibility. The framework of the Government of
role in the coordination of these visitations.
Flanders Act makes it possible for the centres to
The government is also able to organise
respond quickly and appropriately to the
visitations, but basically limits these to meta-
constantly changing training needs of the
evaluations.
individual and of the labour market. Continuing education is currently structured in a transparent
The subject of quality assessment in tertiary
way, and follows on from secondary education. In
education is the course itself, both basic and
the short term, it examines how the attraction of
advanced courses. This is new for colleges of
adult education can be increased for skilled and
higher education, but traditional for universities.
experienced teachers. The modernisation of bis,
A cluster of related basic courses or advanced
which should result in a complete electronic
courses can also be the subject of quality
learning platform, is another important element
assessment. In future, related courses in colleges
in facilitating lifelong learning for adults. The
of higher education and universities can be
development of combined education in the
inspected jointly. In order to guarantee the
centres for adult education also fits in this
cohesion and effectiveness of the quality
framework.
assessment as effectively as possible, the Government of Flanders Act determines that the
The provision of adult education should have a
assessment of the same (cluster of) course(s)
clear place in relation to the range of education
must take place by the same visitation
and training provided by the Flemish
committee within 24 months, including the
Employment and Vocational Training Agency
public report.
(vdab) and of the Flemish Institute for the SelfEmployed(vizo). Some training provided by the
2.3.7 Lifelong learning
Department of Education, the vdab and the vizo is closely interrelated so that there is a need for
Learning is a process that encompasses a whole
cooperation.
lifespan. The desire to learn can be stimulated by
In order to achieve the long desired necessary
the government by providing learning contents
coordination of the education provision for
and learning situations from primary up to
adults effectively, 13 Edufora were established.
higher education, which encourage the skills for
The Edufora supervise the necessary
lifelong learning and make them useful for the
consultation, the exploration of the needs and
future. Self-monitored learning and thinking in a
the planned development of the range of
problem-solving way are skills that should be
available training for every subregion. In order to
taught in the basic education of all young people.
allow the participant to make the right choice,
This requires challenging attainment targets,*
the range of existing adult education will be
sometimes across the different subjects, as well
explored with computerised signposting.
as basic skills. In this respect, it is important for young people to learn to use information and
In the context of lifelong learning, the necessary
communication technology* in a focused way in
attention is devoted in Flanders to the
their search for information and knowledge, and
certification of training. An action plan is being
to disseminate and exchange information
introduced to improve the coordination of the
themselves. In order to develop and maintain a
certification of training at the vdab, vizo, osp
positive attitude to lifelong learning, it is
centres, and in adult basic education. Adults can
essential to have experiences of success on the
also have learning experiences and develop skills
way. Therefore specific attention must be
outside these formal education systems, for 31
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Pagina 32
example during work experience. In the future,
module provides the possibility of entering the
these competencies which are acquired
labour market or continuing the training.
elsewhere should also be valorised. This target has a place in a European perspective. From
In secondary education, the modularisation
September 2002, the courses in present higher
experiment is focused first of all on vocational
continuing education (hoktsp) will be integrated
training with a clear focus (practical
in tertiary education, which will benefit the
qualification) and attainment targets* and basic
value of qualifications. After all, one of the tasks
skills which take this focus into account. With
of colleges of higher education is to serve as
this modular vocational training, the divisions
learning centres for continuing learning at their
between the different types of education
level. Their task consists of providing adapted
disappear. This means that they are identical for
basic training for adults and providing
all forms of education, and even for all providers
permanent in-service training and retraining.
of education. It is clear that there will be a
Because of the planned integration, the colleges
difference in terms of educational approach, and
of higher education will be able to fulfil this task
duration. In order to oppose the ‘cascade effect’
more effectively.
the strategy adopted is not a top-down, but a bottom-up approach. On the one hand, this
An evaluation study of ten years of basic
involves the incorporation of a system of stages
education in Flanders is examining the
of success, or step-by-step learning, in which
achievement of the policy objectives, the extent
students can gradually proceed to the highest
to which target groups are reached, the
level. On the other hand, it involves an attempt to
effectiveness of the educational provision, and
provide better guidance at the beginning (= after
the effectiveness of the administrative
the first stage) by providing a more appropriate
organisation. In the context of the actual literacy
range of education. This in turn leads to the
level of the Flemish population, a specific policy
necessary degree of transparency and a flexible
plan is currently being drawn up for basic
response to the labour market.
education. In adult education as a whole, special attention
The modularisation experiment is aimed at a
will be devoted in multicultural Flanders to
discontinuity between the first and second
education in Dutch as a second language. Both
stages, and then continuity through far-reaching
basic education, osp and bis are used to provide a
integration of the second and third stage,
range of courses of Dutch as a second language
focusing on interim experiences of success and a
to meet the needs. With additional funds,
transparent range of educational provisions.
attempts are made to gradually reduce the
Furthermore, the content of this approach meets
waiting lists, starting with basic education. These
the recommendation for more joint activities in
funds are also used to improve the quality of the
the second stage, by including modules at the
provision
start of the learning pathway, which are common to the different types of education.
2.3.8 Modularisation A modular structure makes it possible for the Modularisation, which is currently still at an
interim successes of learners to be expressed in
experimental stage, is aimed at splitting up
(modular) certificates, so that they can enter the
training courses into clearly defined components
labour market with qualifications at any time.
or modules related to knowledge, skills or
This meets the policy vision concerned with
attitudes. Modular education is organised for
reducing the numbers of unqualified learners, at
individual study areas, separate from stages or
the same time as stimulating the effects of
years. For each module that the student
success for learners. This not only acts as an
completes, he receives a (modular) certificate
incentive for lifelong learning*, but also
recognised by the government. Every completed
contributes to a positive attitude to lifelong 32
education in Flanders
11-06-2001
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learning. One of the essential tasks of education
The Flemish Counci l for Non-
is to devote attention to the social component, as
Un iversity High er Education (vlhora)
well as the vocational component.
has a corresponding task to the vlir, for colleges
In the modularisation experiment, elements of
of higher education.
general education will be integrated as far as possible in the vocational context. All the
Strong local structures are necessary to support
students are given an opportunity to gain a
the large degree of autonomy* and responsibility
certificate of secondary education, in addition to
of educational establishments.
the vocational qualification.
For community education*, the participation of all those involved in education is organised at the
2.3.9 Participation
local level by the schools counci ls (advisory and consultation bodies).
Legal initiatives have been taken both at the
The schools council have a general right to
central and at the local level, to stimulate
information and a well-defined scope of
participation in the field of education. A
competence regarding advice and consultation.
summary is provided below.
They consist of: • 3 members directly elected by the parents;
The Flemish Education Counci l (vlor) has been operating at the central level since 1991. The Flemish Education Council can carry out studies, discuss and advise on educational matters, on its
• 2 members co-opted from the local, social, economic and cultural sectors; • 3 members directly elected by and from the staff.
own initiative, at the request of the Minister of
The headteacher attends the meetings of the
Education or of the Government of Flanders. The
school council and has an advisory vote.
vlor advises on all draft acts and policy texts
In secondary education, the pupils are involved
relating to education. The Flemish Education
in the activities of the school council. A pupil
Council comprises a general council and a
council can be established for this purpose.
number of individual councils for each level and
For every group of schools there is a board of
type of education.
directors in community education, in which
The general council is composed of
parents, staff, school management teams, and
representatives of:
local social, economic and cultural sectors are
• the governing bodies*;
also represented. They help to decide on the
• the teaching staff and pupil guidance centres*;
material and financial management of a school,
• the representative parents’ associations*;
both as regards educational matters and as
• the economic and social organisations
regards staff.
nominated by the Socio-Economic Council of
In subsidized education*, participation and
Flanders (serv);
consultation are organized with partici pation
• experts (Department of Education officials and experts nominated by the universities).
counci ls. They are composed of an equal number of:
In order to promote the participation of young
• representatives of the governing body;
people, the Association of Flemish Students (vvs)
• elected representatives of the parents;
and the Organisation of Flemish Pupils (vsk)
• representatives elected by the subsidized staff
were incorporated in the vlor.
of the educational establishment(s) concerned; • representatives of the local community co-
The Flemish Interun iversity Counci l
opted by the above-mentioned groups.
(vlir) advises and presents proposals to the
They have a broad scope of competence with
minister with regard to university education. The
regard to giving advice, and a well-defined scope
vlir carries out research itself, and contracts out
of competence on consultation with regard to the
research. Maximum two people represent every
school policy.
university in this council. 33
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The different parties involved in the school also
better status for supply teachers: the pool
often organise separate informal committees and
provides job security and a secure income, in
councils. In most primary and secondary schools,
exchange for their regional deployment to
parents organise a parents’ association
replace absent colleagues.
which organises school-related activities on a
Because of the enormous shortages on the labour
voluntary basis, usually aimed at fund raising.
market, a few additional measures were recently
In order to increase the competence of parents
taken, entering into effect from 2001:
with regard to school policy, the government
• to provide additional support for teachers and
subsidises centres that support parents’
school management teams from sectors where
associations and provide training.
there are still sufficient reserves of labour. For example, child care assistants will be recruited
From 1 January 2000, a secondary school is
in nursery education, and the administrative
obliged to establish a pupi l counci l, if one
framework for nursery and primary education
third of the pupils ask for this. The council has advisory powers with regard to all matters that
will be strengthened; • to encourage students to opt for teacher
directly affect the pupils. The headteacher must
training, by means of a recruitment campaign
provide all the necessary information and
in the media;
infrastructure and administrative support. A 11
Centre for pupil participation was established to
The shortage of
raise the awareness of pupils and supervisors
teachers is greatest
and support them with training.
• to provide a premium for teachers who work in Brussels. 11, and who pass the language examination; • the introduction of longer uninterrupted periods of teaching practice (two months) for
in Brussels.
Both staff and students are represented in all the
students in their last year of teacher training.
administrative bodies of Flemish colleges of
However, the educational aim of teacher
higher education and universities.
training continues to have priority;
Students at the colleges of higher education and
• to draw up formulae to train (unemployed and
universities also have their own council. These
employed) nursery teachers and physical
councils are democratically elected. They are
education teachers to become primary
consulted and advise on any matters which
teachers.
affect them (educational and examination arrangements, and evaluation, etc.).
In order to make the teaching profession an attractive and valued job once again in the
2.3.10 Recognising the professionalism
of teachers
medium term, a coherent and coordinated action plan was introduced with various policy projects: • in 2000, teacher training visitations started.
The schools in the Flemish education system are
Both the users of teacher training, the clients
faced with a growing shortage of teachers. The
and providers, as well as other experts, are
Government of Flanders aims to provide a
stakeholders. The results of this evaluation
sufficient number of competent and motivated
will be available in mid-2001 and will indicate
teachers for schools in the medium term.
the line to be taken for the revision of the initial training and the in-service training;
In order to remedy the teacher shortages in the
• in 2000, the government concluded one
short term, a number of new measures have been
Collective Employment Agreement (V). It
introduced since September 2000:
negotiated on another collective employment
• in future, it will be more rewarding for
agreement. The Collective Employment
teachers to work overtime; there will also be a
Agreement V places an emphasis on
more flexible arrangement for returning to a
improving the working conditions of teaching
job temporarily from leave or retirement;
staff, and mainly contains investments to
• the teach er replacement pool creates a
improve the working conditions with 34
education in Flanders
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additional support and a reduction of the planning load; • the discussions in 2001 resulted in a Collective Employment Agreement VI, which applies to 2001 and 2002. In addition to a general salary increase, the Collective Employment Agreement VI comprises a significant reduction in the workload. A number of important measures have also been taken to reduce the shortage of teachers. With regard to the salary conditions, the government has commissioned a study to compare teaching salaries in Flanders with salaries in other sectors and in other countries, and to determine the direction of the new salary policy for Flemish teachers; • a professional school management: the Government of Flanders Acts on the legal position will be amended so that schools have the scope, instruments and capacities to fulfil their role as employer as well as possible, and can implement a personnel policy which develops and monitors, coaches and values the teachers; • with regard to the plan of action for rewarding teachers, the minister has initiated a broad social debate. In 2000, the teaching profession was on the agenda during the hearings of the Education Commission of the Parliament of Flanders. It is the minister’s intention to involve society in this debate in a broad sense. In addition, it has commissioned a number of scientific studies to support this debate. The social debate and the evaluation of teacher training will result in an overall idea of the teaching profession and the related policy proposals.
35
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Ministry of the Flemish Community Department of Education website www.ond.vlaanderen.be 2.4
Useful addresses
Nursery and Primary Education Administration Koning Albert II-laan 15 – 4th floor 1210 Brussels tel +32 2 553 93 76 fax +32 2 553 93 75 e-mail scholen.basisonderwijs@vlaanderen.be Secondary Education Administration Koning Albert II-laan 15 – 2nd and 3rd floors 1210 Brussels tel +32 2 553 89 01 fax +32 2 553 89 05 e-mail scholen.secundaironderwijs@vlaanderen.be Tertiary Education and Scientific Research Administration Koning Albert II-laan 15 tower A 6th and 7th floors 1210 Brussels tel +32 2 553 98 32 fax +32 2 553 98 35 e-mail hogescholen@vlaanderen.be universiteiten@vlaanderen.be Lifelong Learning Administration Koning Albert II-laan 15 tower C 6th and 7th floors 1210 Brussels tel +32 2 553 98 61 fax +32 2 553 98 65 e-mail deeltijdskunstonderwijs@vlaanderen.be volwassenenonderwijs@vlaanderen.be Budget and Data Management Division Koning Albert II-laan 15 1210 Brussels tel +32 2 553 95 46 fax +32 2 553 95 45 e-mail begrotingengegevensbeheer@ond.vlaanderen.be
36
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Policy Coordination Division
General Inspectorate for Nursery
Koning Albert II-laan 15
and Primary Education
1210 Brussels
Koning Albert II-laan 15
tel +32 2 553 95 64
1210 Brussels
fax +32 2 553 95 65
tel + 32 2 553 94 74
e-mail beleid@ond.vlaanderen.be
fax + 32 2 553 94 15 e-mail
CLB Unit
inspectie.basisonderwijs@vlaanderen.be
Koning Albert II-laan 15 1210 Brussels
General Inspectorate for Secondary Education
tel + 32 2 553 86 94
Koning Albert II-laan 15
fax + 32 2 553 86 85
1210 Brussels
e-mail clb@vlaanderen.be
tel + 32 2 553 88 62 fax + 32 2 553 88 75
Educational Information and
Documentation Division
inspectie.secundaironderwijs@vlaanderen.be
Koning Albert II-laan 15 1210 Brussels
Educational Development Service,
tel +32 2 553 96 52
Information Unit
fax +32 2 553 96 55
Koning Albert II-laan 15
1210 Brussels
www.ond.vlaanderen.be/infolijn
tel + 32 2 553 88 29
onderwijspublicaties@vlaanderen.be
fax + 32 2 553 88 35 e-mail dvo.ice@ond.vlaanderen.be
Study Grants Division Koning Albert II-laan 15
Klasse
1210 Brussels
Koning Albert II-laan 15
tel + 32 2 553 86 64
1210 Brussels
fax + 32 2 553 86 65
tel +32 2 553 96 94
e-mail studietoelagen@vlaanderen.be
fax +32 2 553 96 85 e-mail info@klasse.be
Vocational Training Division Koningstraat 93 box 3 1000 Brussels tel + 32 2 227 14 11
Flemish Employment and Vocational
fax + 32 2 227 14 00
Training Agency (VDAB)
e-mail dbo@vlaanderen.be
Keizerslaan 11, 1000 Brussels tel + 32 2 506 15 11 fax + 32 2 511 29 60 e-mail info@vdab.be
Coordinating General Inspectorate Koning Albert II-laan 15 1210 Brussels tel + 32 2 553 88 06 fax + 32 2 553 88 05
Flemish Institute for the Self-Employed
e-mail onderwijsinspectie@vlaanderen.be
(VIZO) Kanselarijstraat 19, 1000 Brussel tel + 32 2 227 63 93 fax + 32 2 217 46 12 e-mail info@vizo.be
37
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•
Policy memorandum, 2000-2004. Education and Training, Marleen Vanderpoorten, 2001.
•
Manual for parents of children in elementary education, Ministry of the
Bibliography
Flemish Community, Department of Education, 2001. •
Education in Flanders, Ministry of the Flemish Community, Department of Education, 1997.
•
Het onderwijs in Vlaanderen. Conferentietekst van de Inspectie Secundair Onderwijs, Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap, Inspectie Secundair Onderwijs, 1999.
•
Flemish Education in images, 1999-2000, Ministry of the Flemish Community, Department of Education, 2001.
•
Flemish Education in figures, 1999-2000, Ministry of the Flemish Community, Department of Education, 2001.
•
Flanders a state of federal Belgium, Ministry of the Flemish Community, Coordination Department, 2000.
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1.
The position of Flanders
2
1.1 Flanders in Belgium and Europe 3 1.2 Flanders as a federated state 3
Contents
1.3 Maximum scope, including the scope for educational issues 4 1.4 A small region, with a large school population 5 2.
Education in Flanders
6
2.1 General principles 7 2.1.1 Compulsory education fo all children up to the age of 18 7 2.1.2 Freedom of education 8 2.1.3 Educational networks 8 2.1.4 Funding education 9 2.1.5 Moving towards autonomy 10 2.1.6 The legal position of staff 10 2.1.7 Organisation of the school and the academic year 11 2.2 Levels of education 12 2.2.1 Structure of education 12 2.2.2 Nursery and primary education 13 2.2.3 Secondary education 15 2.2.4 Tertiary education 17 2.2.5 Lifelong learning 22 2.3 Current points for attention 25 2.3.1 Pupil Guidance Centres 25 2.3.2 Communication 26 2.3.3 Target group policy 27 2.3.4 Information and communication technologies (ict) 28 2.3.5 Internationalisation 29 2.3.6 Quality control and promoting quality 30 2.3.7 Lifelong learning 31 2.3.8 Modularisation 32 2.3.9 Participation 33 2.3.10 Recognising the professionalism of teachers 34 2.4 Useful addresses 36 Bibliography 38
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Publication Details
Text: Ministry of the Flemish Community Educational Information and Documentation Division in cooperation with the other administrations and divisions of the Department of Education Final editing and product coordination: Educational Information and Documentation Division
Publisher: Georges Monard, Secretary-General Koning Albert ii-laan 15 - 1210 Brussels Design: Signbox Printed by: EnschedĂŠ-Van Muysenwinkel Legal no: D/2000/3241/122
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The Department of Education publishes other works, apart from this brochure. You can obtain a summary by visiting the department’s website: www.ond.vlaanderen.be/publicaties A printed version of the catalogue is available from:
Ministry of the Flemish Community, Educational Publications Unit, Hendrik Consciencegebouw, Koning Albert II-laan 15, 1210 Brussels. tel 02-553 66 53 fax 02-553 66 54 e-mail onderwijspublicaties@vlaanderen.be