The number of boarding school students in Wallonia is declining and have lost a quarter of their staff as a result of the decline over the last 15 years.
In 2021-2022, there were reported to be 7,563 students enrolled in one of the hundred boarding schools and reception homes organised or subsidised by the FWB, L'Avenir reports. That number has since decreased.
Free boarding schools in Namur had around 1,200 students in the early 2000s and now that number has dropped to around 850. The economic crisis affected the number of interns and it marked the first major decline.
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Some schools are now changing their offer in order to attract more students. Asty-Moulin boarding school has only accepted secondary-school students and is now creating a partnership with higher education in Namur. The hope is to attract more young students by offering a higher education quality without hindering the student's personal development as a young person.
The project is welcoming 40 young students to the school on 29 April and the school is opening 20 new spots.
