Belgian School Bans Handbags, Mandates Larger School Bags

A secondary school in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium, is enforcing a strict policy requiring students to carry proper school bags rather than small handbags as the new academic year begins. The Da Vinci school group has announced that students arriving with handbags will be warned and asked to switch to a larger bag capable of holding at least an A4-sized folder, according to VRT NWS.

The policy, which took effect on September 1 when the 2026-2027 school year commenced, applies across the Da Vinci school campuses in the East Flanders city. School director Sandra Flamen emphasized that the rule is not new but is being reinforced at the start of the academic year to address a growing trend of students using small handbags instead of traditional backpacks.

A Rule Already on the Books

According to the school’s regulations, which are publicly available on the Scholen Da Vinci website, students are required to bring a school bag with necessary materials every day. The regulations explicitly state: “A handbag is not a school bag and you are then considered not in order.”

Flamen explained that the school is simply bringing renewed attention to this existing rule. “We’re just bringing that rule to attention again,” she said. “Yesterday we indeed already told students to come to school with a different bag.”

The director noted that the use of small handbags instead of classic school bags has been an ongoing issue. “That really can’t work,” Flamen said, “because then you can’t store your materials properly, you can’t take them home properly, and you can’t work and study with them properly.”

Practical Measures to Encourage Compliance

To help students adapt, the school has distributed A4 folders in certain study tracks, which students must bring to class every day. This measure targets programs with fewer textbooks, such as hairdressing, where students have many practical hours but relatively few books.

“There they have a lot of practical hours and very few books,” Flamen explained, noting that students in these tracks might otherwise be tempted to carry only minimal materials.

Students who arrive with an inappropriate bag receive a warning and, according to school regulations, may be sent home to retrieve a proper school bag. However, the school’s approach emphasizes communication over punishment. “We inform the parents and keep repeating it,” Flamen said. “We hope that is enough.”

The school management told Nieuwsblad via NewsLocker that they are “immediately setting the record straight” at the start of the new school year, underscoring the importance of establishing proper routines early.

Broader Context in Flemish Education

The handbag policy comes amid broader discussions about school rules and student conduct in Flanders. In November 2025, the Flemish government approved measures allowing school directors to check lockers and backpacks for weapons and drugs in certain circumstances, reflecting a wider trend of schools implementing more structured behavioral guidelines.

The Da Vinci school group, a GO! public education institution, operates three campuses in Sint-Niklaas: Forum Da Vinci, the largest campus offering programs from first through seventh year across multiple educational tracks; Villa Da Vinci, a Freinet pedagogy school; and Casa Da Vinci, a B-stroom Freinet campus. The school’s motto, “The art of learning, the power of doing,” reflects its hands-on educational philosophy.

What’s Next

As the new school year unfolds, the Da Vinci school will continue to monitor compliance with the bag policy. The school’s approach of parental communication and repeated messaging suggests a patient strategy, though the regulations provide for more serious consequences if needed.

For parents and students at Da Vinci, the message is clear: when it comes to school bags, bigger is better. The school’s emphasis on ensuring students can properly carry and manage their materials reflects a broader educational goal of fostering responsibility and preparedness among learners.

Whether other Belgian schools will follow suit remains to be seen, but the Da Vinci school’s firm stance signals that school administrators are paying attention to how students manage their daily materials—and are willing to intervene when practical habits interfere with learning.