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Campaign to make Dutch more attractive to francophone pupils

15:46 22/07/2016

The Huis van het Nederlands (House of Dutch) is launching a pilot project to make the Dutch language more attractive among students in French-speaking schools in Brussels. It was announced by Flemish minister of Brussels Sven Gatz, in response to a question from Flemish MP Willy Segers.

“For many students who graduate from French-speaking education in Brussels, a lack of Dutch-language skills seriously limits their chances of finding a job,” Segers told Bruzz. He said Dutch was not a “sexy” choice for young people and some schools offer only English as an extra language option.

After the summer, the Huis van het Nederlands will begin a campaign to raise awareness about the benefits of learning Dutch, with a pilot project in five French-speaking schools, focusing on technical education.

To show pupils where Dutch is spoken in Brussels and why they need the language, experts will take them on a tour, with information about work, free time and sports. Afterwards, there will be an information session at the Huis van het Nederlands.

The pilot phase will run until December. Next year, a more permanent programme will be provided to French-speaking schools. Many Dutch-speaking Brussels institutions are contributing to the project, including the Flemish library and information centre Muntpunt.

Photo courtesy Iscam

Written by Andy Furniere