Exams Cancelled, Laser Game Mandatory: School Faces Fury

One of Brussels’ most prestigious Jesuit secondary schools has ignited a firestorm of controversy after cancelling end-of-year exams for first-year students due to a widespread teacher strike, while simultaneously mandating a paid laser game activity as an obligatory end-of-year outing. Parents and students have expressed disbelief, with one student telling La Libre Belgique that “we thought it was a joke.”

The Controversy

On Monday, June 8, parents of first-year secondary students at Saint-Michel College in Etterbeek received a communication from the school administration announcing a “special mission” for Thursday, June 25: an “epic” laser game session followed by an ice cream. The outing was presented as mandatory for the three classes of first-year secondary students — approximately 75 children.

The decision comes amid a major education crisis in the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (FWB), where teachers have been on strike for weeks. Due to the ongoing industrial action, the school administration decided that only students who did not achieve the average grade would be required to take end-of-year evaluations, effectively cancelling exams for most students.

According to DHnet, the laser game activity costs 15 euros per student. With 75 students across three classes, this generates 1,125 euros in revenue, while privatizing the venue — Coffee Shop Beaubon in Woluwe — for 70 people costs 450 euros, leaving a significant surplus.

Parent and Student Outrage

A parent quoted in the investigation questioned the school’s priorities, pointing out that even during a strike period, the administration appears focused on generating revenue. “At Saint-Michel College, there are 12 classes. Do the math. The only explanation is that even during a strike period, the administration is trying to bring in money. So much for free education?” the parent told reporters.

Students were equally stunned. One first-year student told the press: “We thought it was a joke” — expressing the disbelief that exams would be cancelled while a laser game outing was made mandatory.

The Broader Education Crisis

The laser game controversy is the latest flashpoint in a much larger crisis engulfing education in French-speaking Belgium. The MR-Les Engagés government recently passed an austerity decree cutting 500 million euros across all sectors in the FWB, with significant impacts on education.

Key measures include a 10% increase in teaching hours for secondary upper-level teachers without salary compensation, tighter end-of-career conditions, an increase in tuition fees from 835 to 1,194 euros for 58% of students, and reduced funding for free school supplies and meal distribution.

As reported by RTBF, the teacher response has been fierce: widespread strikes, exam boycotts, and demonstrations across Brussels and Wallonia. Adrien Rosman, community coordinator at the SETCa-SEL union, warned that “work stoppages will continue. We should expect a still-disrupted end of the school year.”

Ronald Lahaye, secretary general of CSC-Enseignement, noted that teachers will not penalize students despite the disruptions, but confirmed that the strike notice covers educators until the last day of the school year.

A School with Royal Connections

Saint-Michel College, founded in 1835 and located on Boulevard Saint-Michel in Etterbeek, is one of the most historically significant schools in Brussels. According to Wikipedia, it enrolls approximately 2,260 students, making it potentially the largest secondary school in Brussels. Its alumni include King Philippe of Belgium, Prince Laurent, physicist Georges Lemaître (founder of the Big Bang theory), Atomium creator André Waterkeyn, rapper Damso, and footballer Amadou Onana.

Analysis and Implications

The incident highlights several troubling tensions within the Belgian education system. Cancelling academic evaluations while mandating a paid recreational activity raises fundamental questions about educational priorities. The financial arithmetic — with the school potentially generating a surplus from the mandatory outing — has led critics to question whether profit motives are driving decisions.

Belgium’s constitution guarantees free education, but the mandatory paid outing challenges this principle directly. This comes at a time when the government is simultaneously cutting funding for free school supplies and meals, raising concerns about growing social inequality in education.

What’s Next

The school administration, led by director Benoît Gallez, has not yet issued a public explanation for the decision. It remains unclear whether the laser game outing scheduled for June 25 will proceed as planned given the public backlash. Parents may also explore legal challenges to the mandatory nature of the paid activity.

More broadly, the controversy serves as a powerful symbol for critics of both the school administration and the broader education system. As unions consider filing strike notices for the start of the next school year in September, the crisis in Belgian education shows no signs of abating.