Belgium Education Reform: What Changes for Teachers and Students

After 14 hours of marathon debate that stretched through the night of June 4-5, 2026, the Parliament of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FWB) approved a sweeping education reform package that will fundamentally reshape schooling for hundreds of thousands of students and teachers. The reform, embedded in a broader “décret-programme” (program decree), aims to save €500 million by 2029 as the FWB grapples with a structural deficit of €1.6 billion annually. The measures have sparked massive protests, strikes, and civil unrest across Wallonia and Brussels.

The Core Changes

Teachers: More Hours, Tighter Rules

The most contentious measure requires upper secondary teachers (4th, 5th, and 6th years) to increase their weekly teaching load from 20 to 22 periods of 50 minutes each — a 10% increase in work time — starting from the next school year in September 2026, without any salary compensation. According to RTBF, the government frames this as harmonization with lower secondary teachers who already teach 22 periods, but critics argue it effectively constitutes a pay cut.

The reform also overhauls sick leave provisions. Teachers who exhaust their accumulated sick leave reserve will immediately receive 60% of their salary, eliminating the previous progressive reduction system (80% → 70% → 60%). This is expected to save €120 million. Additionally, uncertified single-day absences are now limited to just three per year, down from an unlimited allowance.

Students: Higher Costs, Fewer Benefits

University and higher education tuition fees (minerval) will rise from €835 to €1,194 for 58% of students who pay full price. A progressive four-tier system is introduced: free for full scholarship holders, €384 for modest-income families, €835 for intermediate incomes, and €1,194 for full-price payers. Student representatives have denounced the increases as anti-social, with one anonymous student telling RTL Info that “it’s not normal to have to pay almost a salary to be able to study.”

Budget cuts also hit school meal and supply programs. The budget for free meal distribution in disadvantaged schools is eliminated, saving €21 million, though €14 million will be redirected to schools to fund hot meals themselves. The school supplies budget is cut from €24 million to €11 million annually, even as free supplies are extended to all primary and kindergarten students by 2027.

Job Loss Fears and Political Fallout

The increased teaching hours are estimated to eliminate the need for 1,300 full-time equivalent positions. The sector already loses 2,170 full-time equivalents annually through natural attrition. Temporary teachers are most at risk. In response to these fears, the government has committed to freezing teacher reassignments (réaffectations) for one to two years to protect temporary workers from immediate job loss.

Education Minister Valérie Glatigny (MR) sought to reassure teachers during a press conference on June 4, as reported by RTBF. “The economy measures are known. Our sectors should not expect further economies of this magnitude, particularly in education,” she stated. Minister-President Elisabeth Degryse (Les Engagés) defended the reform as essential for preserving the FWB’s essential missions, warning that without intervention the federation’s debt would reach €50 billion by 2040.

Democratic Process Under Fire

The government’s decision to accelerate the vote, bypassing the standard 84-hour parliamentary delay, has become a central grievance. Unions and opposition parties condemned the move as undemocratic. Luc Toussaint, president of the CGSP Enseignement teachers’ union, told RTL Info: “A parliament that doesn’t even respect its own rules is a denial of democracy.”

Even within the governing coalition, dissent emerged. Mathilde Vandorpe, former parliamentary group leader for Les Engagés, abstained from the vote, telling the government, as reported by La Libre, that “nothing justifies the lack of respect and contempt.”

Protests and Civil Unrest

The vote was accompanied by massive demonstrations. On June 4, an estimated 3,000 protesters gathered near the FWB Parliament in Brussels, with thousands more mobilizing in Namur, Liège, Charleroi, and other cities. Incidents included fires at Brussels Central Station, property damage in Namur, and protesters breaching the Parliament building, prompting tear gas deployment by police. The Human Rights League denounced the police response as disproportionate.

Positive Measures and Forward Look

Despite the austerity focus, the reform includes some investments: €25 million for personalized student support in primary and first-year secondary education; a 2.5% salary increase in 2027 for teachers trained under the new four-year program; reduced teaching loads for early-career and end-of-career teachers; and salary revaluation for school directors.

Unions have indicated the movement will not end with the vote. The December 2026 evaluation of the reaffectation freeze will be critical in determining whether temporary teacher layoffs can be avoided. With opposition parties and unions considering legal challenges to the accelerated voting procedure, the political battle over education in Belgium’s French-speaking community is far from over.”