What's Happening
Flemish schools in the six 'communes à facilités' of the Brussels periphery – Drogenbos, Kraainem, Linkebeek, Sint-Genesius-Rode (Rhode-Saint-Genèse), Wemmel, and Wezembeek-Oppem – are sounding the alarm regarding the increasing influx of students who do not speak Dutch. This phenomenon, characterized by rapidly growing super-diversity, places significant pressure on educational institutions and their staff. Schools feel overwhelmed by the situation and are therefore demanding more resources to effectively address these challenges. This issue touches the core of educational policy in a multilingual and culturally diverse region like the Brussels periphery, an area that has undergone significant demographic transformation in recent decades.
Impact of Super-Diversity on Flemish Education
The continuous influx of non-Dutch-speaking students requires adapted teaching methods and additional support, for which current resources are insufficient. This not only affects the integration of new students but also the quality of education for all students. Providing intensive language support, such as reception classes for non-native speaking newcomers (OKAN), is crucial but demands specialized staff and adapted teaching materials. Without these extra investments, the quality of education risks deteriorating, and social cohesion within schools could come under pressure. According to recent figures from Statbel, diversity in these municipalities is increasing, further underscoring the urgency of the situation.
Background
The Brussels periphery, comprising municipalities such as Drogenbos, Kraainem, Linkebeek, Sint-Genesius-Rode, Wemmel, and Wezembeek-Oppem, is characterized by a complex linguistic and demographic landscape. Historically, these are Flemish municipalities, but their proximity to the capital Brussels has led to significant 'francisation' and internationalization of the population. This has direct consequences for education, where the number of students with a mother tongue other than Dutch has sharply increased. The discussion about the funding of Dutch-language education in this region has long been a recurring theme in Belgian politics, with tensions between the Flemish and French Communities regarding competencies and resources. The call for additional funding is therefore not new, but the urgency now seems higher than ever, partly due to increased migration flows affecting all of Belgium. The Flemish Government is the competent authority for Dutch-language education, but the complex situation in the periphery sometimes requires consultation with the Federal Government or the French Community, for example on housing or social aspects. The current discussion fits into a broader framework of the Belgian state structure, where communities are responsible for education and culture, while regions are responsible for territory-related matters, and the federal government for defense and part of social security, for example. This makes addressing such problems complex and layered.
What This Means for Belgium
This situation in the Brussels periphery mirrors broader societal debates in Belgium about language policy, integration, and the distribution of resources. An adequate solution could set a precedent for other regions with a similar demographic evolution, such as urban areas in Flanders and Wallonia that are also facing increasing diversity. For the Flemish Community, which is responsible for Dutch-language education, this is a crucial test of its ability to ensure an inclusive and high-quality education system, even in the most diverse contexts. The problem also has political implications, with possible tensions between the regions and communities regarding educational support. The Flemish Government is expected to carefully consider the needs of these schools to prevent a decline in educational quality in the region. This could lead to a readjustment of the funding model for schools in areas with a high concentration of non-native speaking students. The necessity for cooperation between the various levels of government – local, regional, and federal – is evident here. The situation emphasizes the need for a coherent and forward-looking policy that takes into account the reality of super-diversity in Belgium, as highlighted, for example, by the National Bank of Belgium (NBB) in reports on the labor market and the integration of newcomers. The challenges in education in the Brussels periphery are symptomatic of a larger societal transformation that requires a thoughtful and coordinated approach to guarantee social cohesion and prosperity in Belgium.
The newspaper L'Echo highlighted in a recent article the problems of Flemish schools in the Brussels periphery, focusing on the challenges with non-Dutch-speaking students and the call for more resources.