Teacher training enrolments are expected to drop again this year in French-speaking Belgium, exacerbating an existing shortage of teaching staff, Higher Education Minister Elisabeth Degryse revealed on Monday in the French Community Parliament.
Initial enrolment figures indicate a stabilisation or slight decrease in early nursery and primary education training courses.
However, there is a “notable decline with variations across disciplines” in the enrolment for teacher training for early secondary education, Degryse commented without providing specific details.
Ares, the administrative body responsible for the sector, is scheduled to provide clear figures by the end of this month.
The minister pointed out another disturbing trend: the number of students taking the preliminary French proficiency test is 30% lower than last year.
This test, while optional, offers five credit points for mastery of the French language in their study programme.
The decline in enrolment for teacher training is not new, but has worsened in recent years.
A further drop is bad news for the education sector, which is already facing a significant shortage of teachers.
Additionally, the extension of the duration of the teacher-training course from three years to four, billed for 2026, means no new teachers will graduate that year.
