Compulsory education in Belgium: ages 5 to 18
Compulsory education in Belgium runs for thirteen years, from age 5 to 18. Who sets those limits, what part-time schooling after 15 means, home education, justified absences and the real penalties.
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Enseignement
Teacher shortage: what do Belgium's parties propose?
A neutral comparison of the 10 main Belgian parties' positions on the teacher shortage in 2026: teaching load, seconded staff, training, funding. Pros and cons, public sources.
Education: what do Belgium's 10 parties propose in 2026?
A neutral comparison of the 10 main Belgian parties' positions on education in 2026: common core, teacher shortage, budget savings, standards and streaming. Pros and cons, public sources.
Understanding the issue
In Belgium, education is a competence of the Communities (Wallonia-Brussels Federation and Flemish Community), not the federal level. The 2024 debates focus on the teacher shortage, declining results highlighted by PISA surveys, free schooling and the "Pacte d'excellence" in the French-speaking south. Two poles emerge: more public funding, free schooling and higher teacher pay on one side, more school autonomy, freedom of choice and quality standards on the other.