Flemish Education Overhaul: What Changes This School Year
As the new school year begins on September 1, students, teachers, and schools across Flanders are navigating one of the most extensive sets of education reforms in recent memory. From new curriculum standards and fewer exam days to binding kindergarten assessments and significant budget reallocations, the changes touch nearly every aspect of the Flemish education system.
A Year of Sweeping Changes
The reforms stem from the Flemish coalition agreement of September 2024, with Education Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA) tasked with raising education quality while also cutting costs. According to VRT NWS, the measures include the elimination of pedagogical study days in secondary education and the scrapping of optional leave days, including those traditionally used for local annual fairs.
Schools may now use only 50 half-days for exams and class councils throughout the year, down from 60, with deliberation and feedback limited to four days per exam period. The announcement of these measures sparked a student strike in January, with more than 1,000 students taking to the streets in protest.
New Minimum Goals for Primary Education
This year marks the official start of the new minimum goals for primary education, covering Dutch, mathematics, science, and technology for students from the third kindergarten year through the third grade. The goals, first proposed by Minister Demir in May 2025, represent the first major update to primary education standards since 1997.
According to VRT NWS, the new standards are deliberately knowledge-rich, with specific learning objectives replacing the broader previous targets. Daniel Muijs, chair of the expert committee, explained that “knowledge-rich teaching is the only way disadvantaged students can close the gap in knowledge and results with more privileged classmates.”
To support implementation, 30 schools have been selected as inspiration schools, each receiving nearly €70,000 to serve as leaders in adopting the new curriculum. Additionally, 20 pioneer schools are testing a more inclusive education model, working with CLB centers and learning support services toward the government’s goal of “schools for everyone” by 2040.
Binding Kindergarten Diploma
A significant change affects the transition from kindergarten to first grade. Previously, parents had the final say on whether their child advanced to primary school. Now, the class council will make a binding decision on whether a child is ready, with parents able to appeal. This comes as data shows that 1 in 20 children currently repeats first grade, a rate far higher than in other grades.
Professor Mieke Goos of UHasselt, who researches grade retention, told VRT NWS she would prefer more investment in support services so children can stay with their peers. “I would advocate for investing more resources in care, so children can stay together,” she said.
Language Support and Budget Shifts
For the first time, non-Dutch-speaking children arriving in Belgium from second grade onward can automatically attend separate language immersion classes for intensive Dutch instruction. The number of children who don’t speak Dutch at home has risen from 18 to 27 percent over the past decade, and Demir has called language delay “a burden you carry for life.”
Meanwhile, secondary education faces €35 million in cuts to teacher staffing hours, part of a broader reduction from an originally planned €150 million to €63 million. The cuts also affect two-thirds of funding for follow-up coaches supporting OKAN students, who complete Dutch immersion before entering regular secondary education. PVDA parliamentarian Line De Witte called the cuts “incomprehensible,” warning they would increase teacher workload.
At the same time, €48 million is being invested in supporting beginning teachers, with the goal of having them spend 80 percent of their time teaching and 20 percent on mentorship. Practical education programs in TSO, KSO, and BSO tracks see a 7 percent increase in operating funds.
Behavior Experts and Other Measures
Every school must now designate a behavior expert to promote calm, routines, and structure, and disciplinary files may be transferred between schools. Pregnant teachers in kindergarten or special education will receive alternative pedagogical assignments instead of staying home.
The planned reform of philosophical subjects, which would have eliminated 1,300 jobs, was blocked after an advisory opinion from the Council of State. The Flemish government is now seeking a new agreement on the future of these courses, as reported by VRT NWS.
Looking Ahead
As students return to classrooms, the full impact of these reforms will unfold over the coming months. With the binding kindergarten assessment taking effect at year’s end and the phased implementation of new minimum goals continuing through 2030-31, the 2026-2027 school year marks the beginning of a multi-year transformation of Flemish education. Schools, teachers, and families will be watching closely to see whether the promised improvements in quality materialize without overburdening those at the heart of the system.