After a two-week Christmas break, students and teachers in Wallonia and Brussels return to school on Monday for a January likely to be marked by teacher protests.
The teachers’ unions have called for a series of actions over the next three weeks, including a strike at the end of the month to protest cuts and reforms by the new MR-Engagés government.
In late November, unions organised a one-day strike to oppose budget cuts.
However, as this initial action did not create any change, the unions have now called for a two-day strike on 27 and 28 January.
Initially, the focus will be on budget cuts in technical education, amounting to €15.6 million in the last four months of 2025, or over €46 million annually, according to socialist opposition.
On 15 January, a first action will highlight the job losses these cuts will cause, with union representatives claiming up to 500 jobs are at risk, a figure disputed by the government.
