Recognition of eight Brussels schools should be revoked, say inspectors

In its annual report released this week, inspectors of the Flemish education system were very critical of the quality of Dutch-speaking education in Brussels. One of the biggest problems is how few teachers remain in the system for a long period of time, it said.

The inspection services advised the government to withdraw the recognition of eight Dutch-speaking primary schools in Brussels. A further 66 primary schools were given three years to deal with a number of issues. Only a minority of schools received an unconditionally positive evaluation. In secondary education, only one out of five schools received a positive evaluation.

The situation, the inspectorate admitted, can be partly explained by the challenges posed by Brussels’ student population. Less than half of the students comes from a family where Dutch is spoken at home. The number of students with a non-Western cultural background has increased to about 60%.

“Teaching in Brussels demands an expertise not all teachers possess,” said inspector-general Lieven Viaene. “We noticed that few teachers in Brussels stay in the same position for an extended period.” Viaene feels that there is a need for a more stable body of teachers and more focused assistance for schools that face the most challenges.