Bockie De Repper Back in School for Third Time in New Show
Belgian television presenter and content creator Bockie De Repper is heading back to the classroom — for the third time in his life. The 41-year-old entertainer, whose real name is Jonas Van Boxstael, spent 30 days attending classes in the fifth year of secondary school at GO! Atheneum Dendermonde as part of his new Play program ‘Bockie Gaat Naar School’ (Bockie Goes to School), which premieres Monday, August 24 at 21:15.
According to VRT NWS, Bockie joined a class of approximately 20 students aged 16 to 17 in the fifth year of Human Sciences, attending 50-minute class blocks from early morning until mid-afternoon each day. The experience, he says, was intense.
A Brutal Schedule
“Crazy,” is how Bockie describes the pace students must maintain. “No cigarette in between and no coffee either. Recess for a forty-something is ridiculous. By the time you get downstairs, you already have to head back up, because we were on the second floor.”
His biggest complaint? The lunch break. “A quarter hour at noon to eat your sandwiches, that is insanity,” he told VRT NWS.
Even using the restroom proved challenging. “I’m a shy pooper, that just doesn’t work in a space full of teenagers,” he admitted. “During classes I regularly had to play my BV card, because otherwise I wasn’t allowed to go. ‘It was just recess,’ I heard that phrase a lot.”
The initial shock of walking into the schoolyard nearly derailed the entire project. “The footage was almost unusable. I almost cancelled the whole program,” Bockie revealed. “There are so many people in that playground. And you first have to pass the first grade: that is the worst grade of all grades that exist.”
An Emotional Journey
But ‘Bockie Gaat Naar School’ goes far beyond comedic observations about school life. The program, which follows the format of his acclaimed 2024 show ‘Bompa Bockie’ — where he spent 30 days in a care home — became deeply personal.
Bockie, who describes his own school years as filled with “hate for the world” and a difficult home situation with an “absent mother and a bad stepfather,” also lived with his mother Martine for 30 days during filming. On camera, she offered him a long-awaited apology.
“And then she said: ‘You are not exaggerating,’ and that is the most beautiful thing that has happened in my life,” Bockie said. “I have so much free space in my head now, the puzzle has fallen into place and that has changed my life.”
The program also forged meaningful connections with his young classmates, whom he now calls his “little sisters and brothers.” He developed a particularly close bond with a student named Lysse, whose father — who struggled with alcohol addiction — died four years ago. Bockie’s own father passed away 16 years ago.
“It would have been beautiful if there had been a forty-something in my class back then who had been through the same thing and said: ‘Go ahead, I understand. I’ve been there too,’” he reflected.
A New Generation’s Openness
Bockie was struck by how today’s students approach mental health compared to his own generation. “It seems to be drilled into those young people that it’s important to talk when you don’t feel well,” he noted.
The experience also gave him a newfound respect for teachers. “I told them they can slap me in the face if I ever make a joke about teachers again,” he said. “I have all the respect for them. If your job is to teach someone else’s child something, you must have a heart of gold.”
As TVvisie reported, Bockie’s first day was filled with anxiety. “I have very little breath, it seems,” he said of the stress of meeting his new classmates.
The program is part of Play’s early fall lineup, which also includes the revival of ‘Zeg eens euh!’ and ‘Jade en de Belgen,’ as VRT NWS reported. The school itself confirmed the filming on its website, noting that Bockie would explore what Gen Z dreams about and worries about.
What’s Next
‘Bockie Gaat Naar School’ premieres Monday, August 24 at 21:15 on Play, airing every Monday. Bockie will also present ‘Salut & de kost’ later this fall, asking 10 celebrities about their ultimate last meal.
As for his grades during the 30-day experiment? “I can’t say much, except this: to hell with geography,” he joked. “Nobody really needs that.”
Beyond the humor, Bockie hopes the program resonates on a deeper level. “Why do I want to bare my ass on TV? Because I hope someone else gets something out of it,” he said. “That someone watches and thinks: ‘Damn, I should talk to my mom too.’”