Vooruit legislator Hannelore Goeman has urged Flemish Education Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA) to take urgent additional measures for Brussels schools following the closure of a class in Sint-Gillis for the rest of the year.
Balder Primary School in Sint-Gillis will close its third-year class from May until the end of the school year, affecting 30 students who must now find a new school for two months. In a letter to parents, the school cited a teacher shortage as the reason.
However, Education Minister Demir provided a different explanation for the closure.
“There is much more happening at the school than just a teacher shortage,” Demir said. “Inspection this month uncovered issues with school infrastructure capacity and poor staff management. The ineffective school management, with five different headteachers in five years, has created an unpleasant learning environment and inefficient organisation,” she explained.
The minister suggested that many children were not receiving education, resorting to staying at home or in study halls.
Similar class closures have occurred in Schaarbeek and Ganshoren in recent months.
Vooruit insists the minister should intervene. “Dutch-speaking education is a blessing for Brussels, but the Flemish community is currently failing to fulfil its promise of quality education for every child,” Goeman remarked.
“This is unacceptable. Regardless of individual school issues, one thing is certain: there is an urgent need for additional measures specifically for Brussels schools to ensure our children receive an education,” the legislator added. “Minister Demir has the power to make a difference, and I expect her to take responsibility.”
