The weather has turned and pupils in Belgium's Dutch-speaking schools are now also one week into a new academic year (those in the French system went back Monday 26 August).
But though Belgium's institutions are again filled with children, teachers fear for the quality of education they provide, as chronic staff shortages remain unresolved. Just days before a new school year, some headteachers were scrabbling to fill vacancies. Between 2022 and 2023, teacher vacancies leapt up a staggering 25%.
Efforts to address this have had little effect and some schools are forced to make alternative arrangements. In Brussels, primary schools are moving towards a four-day week, ceasing classes entirely on Wednesday (which is usually a half day). Though educators say this has minimal impact on attainment, overall standards have been slipping across the country, as performance falters since the pandemic.
Then there is the childcare angle to consider: no school midweek will inevitably have repercussions for parents. And although some expats find plenty to praise in the instruction provided in Belgium, the system is not bulletproof. "The right to education is in danger," teachers associations have warned.
Teachers do an amazing job at managing complex human situations on the spot. But with conditions showing little sign of improvement, how long can they keep the show on the road?
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten