Homeschooling is becoming increasingly popular in Flanders, with the number of children educated out of schools in Belgium's Dutch-speaking region doubling over the past five years, Belga News Agency reports.
In total, 2,548 students are currently being homeschooled in Flanders – up from 1,082 in 2017-2018 and an impressive 135% increase.
The growth among primary school students was especially pronounced (177%). Homeschooling was also found to be significantly more popular in rural Flanders than in the region's cities. East Flanders is the Flemish province where the greatest increase in homeschooling was recorded (+156%).
'The best option for us'
Reasons behind the rise in homeschooling include persisting aftereffects of the Covid-19 pandemic (when parents worried about their own or their children's health took their kids out of school), as well as the recently reducted starting age of compulsory education (from six to five) which led parents who were eager to spend more time with their children to choose to homeschool instead.
According to President of the Homeschoolers' Association Liesje Vanhoeck, parents most often choose to homeschool when their child's particular needs are not met by Belgium's traditional education system.
"Most people start [to homeschool their children] because their child has been diagnosed with giftedness or autism and does not find his or her place in a regular school," Vanhoeck explained to VRT.
Vanhoeck, who homeschools her two children, said that she initially decided to homeschool when her family moved abroad for work. After returning to Belgium she continued: "It works well for our family. Homeschooling is currently the best option for us, but it is possible that I think differently next year and find a school the best option."
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Vanhoeck added that the decision to teach one's own children should not be taken lightly. "You really have to read into everything... You are constantly with your children and on weekends you also prepare the lessons."
Flanders MP Vandromme emphasised that the rise in home education entails the need for regular government inspections of parents' homeschooling methods. She observed that such inspections more than doubled from 2020-2021 to 2021-2022, from 301 to 739.
"Good education is of course important," said Vandromme. "It is therefore important that the necessary inspections are carried out."
