One in two students in the Brussels-Capital Region lives less than 1.2 kilometres from their school, according to the Brussels Institute for Statistics and Analysis (IBSA) on Wednesday.
The distance varies significantly depending on the type of education and the residential area.
In nursery and primary education, half of the children in Brussels live less than a kilometre from their school: 700 metres for nursery and 900 metres for primary.
The median distance between home and school doubles in secondary education, reaching two kilometres.
IBSA highlights significant disparities depending on the type of education. Attending a technical or vocational track often involves longer commutes.
This difference is due to the fact that not all schools offer the same options, sometimes requiring students to travel further for their chosen track.
The gap is even more pronounced between mainstream and special education, across all levels.
For students in special education, the home-school distance is 3.3 times greater than for those in mainstream education.
In primary, the median distance reaches 2.7 kilometres in special education, compared to 900 metres in mainstream.
The study also notes that children living in central areas of the capital tend to be closer to their schools.
Students residing in the Pentagon and the first ring are generally nearer to their schools compared to those in the second ring.
