A growing disconnect between school schedules in the French-speaking and Dutch-speaking regions of Belgium is creating challenges for families and raising concerns about language education, according to recent reports.
The issue stems from increasing autonomy granted to Belgium’s regions and communities, leading to differing academic calendars. Currently, students in Wallonia are enjoying a day of rest while their Flemish counterparts are in class. This disparity poses logistical difficulties for families in Brussels and those living near linguistic borders, particularly when children attend schools in different language regimes.
The situation is expected to worsen next year, with no overlapping school holiday dates for All Saints’ Day, Carnival, and Easter. The calendar modifications, some observers say, should have been implemented universally or not at all. A March 30, 2022, editorial highlighted this point.
Adding to the complexity, the altered school calendar is coinciding with a shortage of Dutch language teachers. This makes it more hard to fulfill a requirement that students learn Dutch. The situation, as some observe it, is undermining efforts to bridge linguistic divides. “We desire to rebuild a bridge that we have damaged elsewhere…
Effective governance, according to one perspective, requires ensuring that good ideas work in concert. As one saying goes, “God laughs at men who lament the effects of causes they cherish.”
