Education System in Belgium

Primary Education

There are 3 different kinds of schools in Belgium, namely community schools, subsidized public schools, and subsidized free schools which are normally affiliated to the Catholic Church. Private home education is permissible too, and these numbers are rising slowly. Education is compulsory between age 6 and age 18. Following an almost universal period of voluntary pre-school, children enter primary school for a period of 6 years. There a curriculum based on reading, writing and basic mathematics encourages interest in a broader range of subjects too.

Secondary Education

Secondary schooling unfolds through 3 phases. The 1^st one creates a solid general basis, while the 2^nd and 3^rd ones increase in specificity. Overlaid across these are 4 different genres of schools, namely general secondary schools, technical secondary schools, vocational secondary education schools, and art secondary education institutions. Over and above these, students with disabilities can follow special syllabi.

Vocational Education

In Flemish-speaking Belgium, ongoing vocational education and training provides a good spread of opportunities for further and second-chance adult education. Policy is dynamic, and the system is accordingly under continuous reform.

Tertiary Education

Anybody with a qualifying secondary school diploma may enroll at any one of several universities, although additional entrance examinations are generally required by faculties of civil engineering, architecture, medical and dental sciences, nautical sciences and fine arts.

The oldest Flemish university is the University of Ghent illustrated here. It was founded by King William 1^st of the Netherlands in 1817, and currently has a student body in excess of 30,000, plus approximately 7,100 staff in total employed in 11 faculties.