2026

New resources and more childcare workers in schools for pupil supervision and support : 19.03.2026

The Minister’s office has announced the addition of 87 extra childcare worker posts in pre-primary and primary education, bringing the total to 1,681 positions, in order to meet needs expressed in the field.
Schools will be able to hire additional staff to strengthen pupil supervision and support educational teams. These funds may be used to finance childcare workers in pre-primary classes, as well as educational, administrative or support staff.

60% instead of 50% : the new pass thresholds for the CEB, CE1D and CESS : 18.03.2026

The Parliament of the French Community has definitively approved a draft decree raising the pass threshold for external certification examinations from 50% to 60%. This concerns the CEB (taken at the end of Year 6 of primary school), the CE1D (end of Year 2 of secondary school) and the CESS (end of Year 6 of secondary school).
This increase in requirements will apply to examinations organised from June 2027. It will be accompanied by personalised support measures for pupils identified as struggling. Around €25 million will be invested for this purpose by 2029.
From the 2026–2027 school year onwards, the requirements will evolve as follows :

• CEB (end of primary Year 6) : at least 50% in each subject and an overall average of 60% ;
• CE1D (secondary Year 2) and CESS (secondary Year 6) : 60% required in each examination.

The aim is not to penalise pupils, but to better prepare them for the next stages of their education by ensuring they truly master basic skills.
Raising the level of requirements goes hand in hand with strengthening support measures for pupils. Several concrete initiatives will be implemented :

• the CLE test (Calculating, Reading and Writing) from Year 4 of primary school to detect difficulties earlier ;
• strengthened personalised support for pupils (an additional 460 full time equivalents) in primary education and the early years of secondary school ;
• enhanced support in the first year of secondary school for pupils who have partially or fully failed the CEB (while maintaining the resources allocated to the differentiated cycle, i.e. €24.5 million).

This reform is part of the commitments set out in the Community Policy Declaration, which aims to strengthen the quality and rigour of learning at every key stage of schooling, without prejudice to the autonomy of class councils and school juries, whose role and pedagogical decisions remain central.

Arrangements for progression from Year 6 of primary to Year 1 of secondary education : 18.03.2026

The Parliament of the French Community has approved a draft decree redefining the progression arrangements from Year 6 of primary school to Year 1 of secondary education, within the extension of the common core into lower secondary education.
The text confirms the certifying nature of the Certificate of Basic Studies (CEB) taken at the end of Year 6 of primary education. It also strengthens the role of school juries, which will be able to award the CEB to a pupil on the basis of reports and assessments from Years 5 and 6.
If a pupil fails the CEB, the jury may decide to allow them to progress to Year 1 of secondary education with a support programme. However, it may also choose to keep the pupil in Year 6 of primary school if it deems this to be the preferable solution. Such decisions to retain pupils must nevertheless remain “exceptional”.
In line with the roadmap set out by the Pact for Excellence in Teaching, the first year of differentiated education in secondary education will be abolished. The financial resources previously allocated to it will be reassigned to personalised pupil support.
This step comes with several measures from the Community Policy Declaration aimed at strengthening basic skills while supporting each pupil more individually (CLE Test, personalised support and reinforced support, as mentioned above).

Strengthening support for minors in danger : 24.02.2026

The French Community is implementing a major reinforcement of support for minors in danger or in difficulty. The aim is to ensure rapid access to appropriate guidance, avoid breakdowns in care, and offer more stable pathways for families.
One specific measure focuses on protecting very young children. A qualitative improvement of existing structures is underway to better supervise the care of non school aged children. Residential Early Childhood Services (SRPE - Services Résidentiels de la Petite Enfance) are being upgraded : staffing standards and operating costs are being increased, and alignment with the logic of the Office for Birth and Childhood’s Specialised Early Childhood Care Services (SASPE) is ensured.

Salary increase for teachers trained over 4 years to strengthen the attractiveness of the profession : 30.01.2026

Following the budget conclave, the Government of the French Community has adopted, in first reading, a 5% salary increase for teachers trained over four years, effective from 2027. The measure aims to strengthen the attractiveness of the teaching profession, better acknowledge the increased demands of training and the responsibilities involved, and improve retention of newly qualified teachers.
As initial teacher training has increased from three to four years, this extended programme provides a significant enhancement of pedagogical and subject specific skills, along with more robust preparation for the realities of the job. The ultimate goal is to sustainably improve the quality of education.
The Government has decided to introduce a new pay scale (401), upgraded by 5% compared with the current scale (301). This increase represents a tangible gain from the start of the teaching career.
The new scale will apply to holders of a master’s degree in teaching entering the profession from the 2027 academic year onwards.
In practical terms, for a beginning teacher, this revaluation represents around €150 gross more per month, or nearly €1 800 gross per year.

Principle of neutrality in schools : A harmonised framework and strengthened neutrality of appearance : 09.01.2026

The Government of the French Community has approved, in second reading, a preliminary draft decree aimed at clarifying, strengthening and harmonising the application of the principle of neutrality in schools.
The decree unifies the definition of neutrality within the Education Code by merging provisions that previously differed depending on whether education was Public, Government-aided public  or Government-aided private. It also applies to adult education and part time secondary arts education.
The text also introduces neutrality of appearance for school staff, through a ban on wearing visible signs of conviction, regardless of belief or origin. This measure covers all school roles and activities linked to the institution : teachers, schoolheads, educators, administrative and paramedical staff, maintenance workers, cooks, trainees and all other professional categories active within these schools. The ban also applies to CPMS guidance centres, boarding schools and outdoor activity centres linked to them.

2025

Encouraging vocations and second careers in teaching : 19.12.2025

The Government of the French Community supports the work of the non profit Teach for Belgium through a subsidy, as part of efforts to address the teacher shortage. For more than ten years, this organisation has supported women and men from diverse professional backgrounds who choose to bring their experience into the teaching profession.
Given the increasing challenges faced by schools, it is essential to encourage initiatives that inspire people to teach, support career pathways—particularly at the start of a career—and help strengthen educational teams in the long term.
Teach for Belgium fully contributes to this dynamic. Teachers benefit from targeted training and personalised support, facilitating their integration into the profession and improving long term retention—crucial when one in three teachers leaves within five years of graduation. Training includes classroom climate management, pedagogical techniques and practical case based activities (role plays, simulations, peer feedback).
Since 2013, Teach for Belgium has supported more than 155,000 pupils; 418 people have started teaching, and 850 education professionals have benefited from additional training.

Remuneration for supervising teachers now secured : 19.12.2025

The Government of the French Community has adopted, in first reading, a draft decree establishing a legal framework for the remuneration of supervising teachers in initial teacher training, introduced by the decree of 7 February 2019.
Now extended to four years, teacher training includes a long internship enabling student teachers to better understand the profession “in situ”, supervised by experienced supervising teachers.
The draft decree aims to ensure continuity by clearly defining the amount, procedures and conditions for remuneration of supervising teachers across the new training programmes.
The scheme will come into force on 24th  August 2026.
This text supports the Government’s wider objective to better guide student teachers through trained supervising teachers and designated instructional leads in each school, thereby improving initial teacher training and helping combat teacher shortages.

Salary revaluation for schoolheads to strengthen the attractiveness and recognition of responsibilities : 19.12.2025

The Government of the French Community has adopted, in first reading, a salary revaluation for schoolhead roles, to enhance the attractiveness of these essential positions and better reflect their responsibilities.
The Government has decided to upgrade the pay scales of school leadership positions to ensure a minimum pay gap of 25% between a schoolhead and a teacher with the same seniority.
This revaluation aims to better acknowledge :

• the constant increase in responsibilities assumed by schoolheads ;
• the growing complexity of their roles, pedagogically, administratively and interpersonally ;
• the shortage of applicants for these key positions, especially in primary education.

The reform also simplifies administration by harmonising pay scales for schoolheads in primary education while maintaining more advantageous existing arrangements in secondary schools and CPMS. Most schoolheads will benefit from this revaluation, except for those already earning significantly above the 25% threshold.

Continuation of school sanitary facility renovations : 12.12.2025

To intensify renovation efforts and pedagogical support in schools, the Government of the French Community approved on 12 December the granting of a €278 000 subsidy to the King Baudouin Foundation, within the BYX Fund, for the campaign “Let’s not beat around the bush!”.
Since 2017, more than 400 schools have already received support to rethink, renovate or better manage their sanitary facilities. The BYX Fund offers not only financial assistance but also :

• pedagogical tools, posters and resources—for example on hand or dental hygiene ;
• exchange workshops ;
• personalised guidance for educational teams ;
• pupil involvement in designing and managing these facilities to help foster respect for shared spaces.

This new subsidy will finance renovation projects of up to €5 000 per school, benefiting approximately 50 to 55 schools, and will also support schools receiving infrastructure funding to integrate best practices directly into renovation or construction projects.

20 schools selected to pilot the use of artificial intelligence for basic skills : 12.12.2025

The French Community is taking a new step in the implementation of its Digital Strategy for Education with the official launch of a pilot project integrating artificial intelligence (AI) tools in Years 4, 5 and 6 of primary education. This project, with a budget of €200 000, will enable schools to test the use of AI tools for remediation, consolidation or extension activities supporting basic skills (calculating, reading and writing).
As early as 2023, the French Community initiated a reflection on the impacts, uses, opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence in education. This process led to the publication of an ethical charter on AI in education, co developed with networks, federations of Organising Authorities and stakeholders on the field.
Within this framework, a call for projects entitled “Experimentation of artificial intelligence tools in support of fundamental learning” was launched on 7 November 2025. The selected applicants were chosen based on several criteria (stakeholder involvement, alignment with the digital strategy, diversity of uses and learning areas, training of project leaders, etc.).
The selected schools will receive up to €10 000 for the purchase of tools as well as for the minimum equipment required.

A preliminary draft decree strengthening the prevention of bullying and improving school climate : 05.12.2025

The Government of the French Community has approved, in first reading, a preliminary draft decree aimed at strengthening the legal framework dedicated to pupil well being, improving school climate and preventing bullying and cyberbullying.
The text adjusts the decree of 27 April 2023 based on difficulties observed during the initial implementation phases. The aim is to make the system more coherent and effective for schools and educational teams.
Several clarifications are introduced to ensure smoother organisation and clearer understanding :

• an initial phase of the programme framework that may cover an entire school year ;
• alignment of calls for applications for schools and operators ;
• a clarified definition of the expected support from operators ;
• automatic extension of accreditation, when necessary, to ensure continuity of support.

A decree modernising force majeure leave and addressing teacher shortages : 19.11.2025

The Parliament of the French Community has adopted a decree introducing various provisions related to education, aimed at modernising career rules for staff, simplifying administrative procedures and strengthening schools’ ability to address teacher shortages.
This decree is part of a wider approach to simplifying and adapting regulatory frameworks to current realities, while providing concrete responses to school needs.
Key elements include :

• expanded force majeure leave ;
• increased flexibility to address teacher shortages ;
• more flexible procedures for other essential roles ;
• modernised medical control procedures.

The lower stage of secondary education : a key phase for consolidating basic skills and supporting guidance : 07.10.2025

In its 2024–2029 Community Policy Declaration, the Government committed to implementing the common core in secondary education while strengthening its guidance related dimension.
To this end, a guidance note has been approved by the Government, defining the main lines of this reform of the lower secondary stage :

1. Clarifying the link between the end of primary education and entry into secondary education : strengthening cooperation between primary and secondary teachers,  supporting pupils entering Year 1 of secondary education who face difficulties likely to hinder their success, and harmonising assessment practices ;
2. Establishing organisational principles for the three years of lower secondary education with regard to basic skills and guidance : adapting pupil timetables with a stronger focus on digital skills and basic skills, implementing the Personalised Support and Reinforced Support schemes, placing emphasis on guidance from Year 8 (Year 2 of secondary education) onwards with guidance activities (eight half days per year – 32 periods – dedicated to short work internships, conferences, company visits, workshops led by professionals or collective classroom projects), and providing eight weekly periods of guidance activities, as well as a three day internship in a chosen field in Year 9 (Year 3 of secondary education) ;
3. Clarifying how careers will be adapted as part of the reform : the Pact for Excellence in Teaching, negotiated ten years ago with education stakeholders, anticipated a loss of 1 400 full time equivalents. The introduction of guidance activities will significantly reduce the impact on vocational track teachers ; additional work will also be undertaken on reallocating staff experiencing reduced workloads.

Pupil mental health : a strengthened partnership between Education and Public Health : 16.09.2025

Young people’s mental health has become a major concern. Anxiety, school disengagement, depression and, in the most serious cases, suicidal behaviour : warning signs are increasing. In a social and international context that can be worrying, many young people express a loss of meaning and growing difficulties in looking to the future with confidence. Psycho Medico Social Centres (CPMS), which play a frontline role in supporting pupils, are seeing a continuous rise in requests for psychological support and are now reaching their limits.
In view of this, the Minister for Education and Adult Learning and the Federal Minister for Public Health are joining forces to ensure rapid, accessible and high quality support. Collaboration between the CPMS and first line psychologists will be strengthened. The objectives are :

• Free access to psychological sessions for young people up to the age of 23 ;
• Enhanced support for pupils, parents and teachers, individually or in groups ;
• A coordinated approach, respectful of each actor’s missions, centred on the pupil.

Clarifying roles and reinforcing complementarity

• The CPMS remain the key point of contact within schools, with a central role in detection, listening and guidance ;
• First line psychologists provide short term clinical psychological support.

This structure is designed to avoid overlapping responsibilities : CPMS do not provide therapy and first line psychologists do not intervene in schools without going through them. Schools thus retain their educational mission without shifting towards systematic therapeutic roles.

Reform of the enrolment decree : towards a fairer, simpler and more transparent procedure : 05.09.2025

The Government of the French Community has adopted, in third reading, the preliminary draft decree reforming enrolment in the first year of secondary education, in order to correct undesirable effects that have emerged in recent years.
Since 2010, the “enrolment decree” has governed admission to the first year of secondary education. Its purpose is to ensure fair and transparent enrolment through a centralised procedure.
The reform introduces concrete improvements, including authorising the sending of information by email, relaxing rules related to the status of “presumed incomplete school”, removing a coefficient that had generated perverse effects, and strengthening measures to combat fraud (for example, false declarations of residence).

The CLÉ test : 05/09/2025

The CLÉ test (for “Calculer, Lire et Écrire” which translates to Calculate, Read and Write) has been adopted by the Government of the French Community on second reading. This common external assessment will be organised in all schools at the beginning of the 4th year of primary school, starting in the 2026-2027 school year. Its objective is to provide a snapshot of the basic skills that pupils should have acquired by the end of the third year of primary school and, if necessary, to offer personalised support. 
The CLÉ test is unique in that it is non-certificative (no diploma is awarded) and places no pressure on families or pupils. No prior preparation is required. The results will identify the acquisition of basic knowledge and, where this is lacking, give teachers the opportunity to re-explain the subject matter or explain it in a different way. 
A pragmatic and personalised approach :
The CLÉ test will provide teachers with a reliable tool for identifying knowledge and skills that have been fully acquired, partially mastered or not yet assimilated. The aim of this assessment is to identify any difficulties as early as possible, as we know that when they are left until later, they tend to get worse.
In September 2026, all Year 4 pupils will take this test for the first time. Unlike certification tests, the CLÉ test is non-certification : it aims to measure the mastery of fundamental knowledge at the end of the first three years of primary school, in order to quickly detect any difficulties and provide appropriate educational responses. 
The CLÉ test will replace the non-certification external assessments currently organised in the third and fifth years of primary school. This reform will streamline testing, lightening the burden on schools while retaining a tool for steering the education system. Each school will receive a personalised report and, where appropriate, teaching suggestions will be offered to teachers.

The first CLÉ test is scheduled for the start of the 2026-2027 school year.

Monitoring Committee : 28/02/2025

The Government of the French Community approved at second reading the draft decree setting up a Monitoring Committee, which will ensure the proper implementation and sustainability of the new pedagogical references guides within schools. 
The core curriculum continues to be rolled out with the entry into force of new learning references guides. These are gradually being implemented to replace the old "core skills". These references guides have been designed with the aim of providing all pupils with a common background of knowledge, know-how and skills, which will help to strengthen the mastery of learning and to fight failure and repetition, as well as to promote the orientation of pupils. 
In order to ensure that these new references guides are correctly deployed in schools, a Monitoring Committee for Core Curriculum references guides has been set up. Its purpose is simple : assess the implementation of pedagogical references guides and measure their effectiveness and sustainability, based on data collected through field observations and teacher surveys. The committee will also make recommendations to improve support, adapt the references guides or refine teaching tools. 
Every two years, a report will be issued to present the results of the monitoring, including an analysis of the state of implementation of these references guides. It will include concrete measures to improve their deployment, such as the adaptation of training or teaching tools, as well as suggestions to revise, if necessary, the references guides.
Specific communication will be sent to the educational teams to ensure smooth implementation and avoid any administrative overload.

Free Time Reception : 24/02/25

The foundations for a recasting and better recognition of the Free Time Reception sector have been laid. This sector needs to be strengthened but also reformed to ensure the quality of services offered to children and their families and to ensure more stable jobs for care workers. 
Free Time Reception includes extra-curricular care, holiday centres, homework schools. It plays an essential role in the development of children as a ‘third place of life’, conducive to their development, after family and school. They discover new activities, develop their skills and gain autonomy. These spaces also promote socialization. 
Two immediate measures are adopted in favour of professionals in the sector on a proposal from the ONE (Office de la Naissance et de l’Enfance = Birth and Childhood Office), for which 2.7 million will be spent in 2025. The first aims to strengthen management by creating posts for project managers (or similar) in Free Time Reception. At least 41 FTEs will benefit from these resources, which will concern some 70 pilot projects.
The evaluation of the pilot projects launched in 2025 will feed into the reflection that will lead to a necessary reform of the sector next year. A new dynamic was initiated at the instigation of the Minister for Children, and entrusted to the ONE, which aims to strengthen the transversality of the sector, standardise practices, reduce the administrative burden and enhance the value of the professions.  
The steering committee, which will bring together representatives of the three sectors managed by the ONE, has been given the task of drawing up a reform proposal and developing a strong vision by the first quarter of 2026.
 

2024

Continuing vocational training of the members of the educational teams of the schools and PMS centers : 08/11/2024

The Government of the French Community has adopted a draft decree aimed at modifying the orientations and priority themes of the continuing vocational training of the members of the educational teams of the schools and PMS centers of the French Community for the period 2024-2030. 
New training will now be provided to teachers and CPMS staff to enable them to be properly equipped to better understand the new challenges facing society today and in the future: 
- to deal with the rise of extremism, in order to enable teachers to better understand this growing phenomenon in our schools,
- better take into account and understand the digital transition and the challenges of artificial intelligence (AI), in particular its implications for the teaching and learning of students, or the development of critical thinking among students,
- better evaluate and thus be at the service of students' learning, 
- be in tune with the adaptations necessary for teaching in connection with language immersion.

The Government of the French Community presented its 2025 budget jointly with that of the Walloon Region : 16/10/2024

- Promoting the teaching profession and tackling shortages

In order to tackle the shortage of teachers, the previous experience of teachers from other professional sectors will be valued for up to 7 years if they come to fill a shortage function. The system of pools of replacement teachers will be extended to two additional areas, from 48 to 70 FTE.

A progressive system of rebalancing between the various education networks will make it possible, on the one hand, to improve the funding of public and government-dependent private schools and, on the other hand, to put into practice in ten years the ‘one pupil = one pupil’ principle.

Finally, a significant investment in the digitalisation of education will be made, in particular to improve the schooling of sick children via digital tools, as well as that of the administration by developing a digital platform for managing the payroll of teaching staff.

- Additional resources for young people and for the transition.

Additional resources have also been made available for key new policies.

Youth Aid is in dire need of resources to work on issues that were largely identified during the previous parliamentary term. New resources have therefore been provided, despite a financially complex context, for new policies that will be initiated and developed in the continuity of the policy pursued in this area. The priority objective will be to open residential and outpatient places in line with the needs of young people and their families.

Early childhood care is a crucial issue in this legislature. Promoting quality care for children and allowing each parent who wishes to find a place in a nursery are objectives that complement each other.

The ONE management contract, which runs until the end of 2025, sets out the guidelines for policies in favour of children. All these policies are financed in 2025.

- Contained growth of the deficit

This takeover of public finances will make it possible for this legislature to stop the growth of the deficit, despite the impact of the increase in the pension accountability contribution (+€267 million annually by 2029), the financing of the Exceptional Investment Plan (on average €200 million annually from 2025 to 2029), an increase in interest charges (+€329 million annually by 2029) and the deterioration of the student key (€168 million less annual revenue by 2029).

According to current forecasts, the deficit is therefore expected to amount to €1,287 million in 2025, compared to €1,225 million in 2024. 

While a slight increase in the deficit is still to be expected in 2026, the effect of the policies implemented should, on the other hand, make it possible to gradually reduce the deficit from 2027 onwards, in line with the stabilisation path set.

Prohibition of the recreational use by pupils of mobile phones : 02/10/24

The Government of the French Community has decided to prohibit the recreational use by pupils of mobile phones and other connected electronic devices in pre-primary, primary and secondary schools in the French Community, all networks combined, from the start of the 2025-2026 school year. The aim is to improve the quality of learning and the school climate. 
The Government is thus following the recommendations of WHO (World Health Organization) and Unesco, which call for the banning of telephones in classrooms for adolescents over the age of 15 as well. 
However, this prohibition in principle does not apply to the educational uses of smartphones, just as they can be used on leaving school, for example, when a parent contacts his or her child to arrange a meeting place to return home. 
While respecting the freedom of organising authorities and schools, the new provisions leave it to schools to determine how to implement the prohibition (which cannot be derogated from), as well as the penalties for non-compliance.  
Pupils with a disability or a health condition that requires the use of a medical device that combines communication equipment will of course be exempted from this prohibition.
 

Decree on the educational approach to guidance: 16/05/2024

The government is emphasising the educational approach to guidance.  This aims to :

• developing pupils' ability to take action on their career path, but also becoming aware of the constraints and limits on this ability to take action ;
• identifying and criticising the factors, explicit and implicit, which influence choices, including the choice of direction to be made at the end of the core curriculum ;
• transforming knowledge and observations into choices and the actions that make them a reality ;
• developing various scenarios for their future and be able to project themselves into them ;
• becoming aware of the open-ended nature of their choices and of the prospects offered by lifelong learning, particularly in the context of professional development ;
• discovering different professional environments and their diversity, and becoming aware of both the societal contributions and the ethical issues and prospects for socio-professional integration linked to these different socio-professional worlds ;
• linking knowledge, subject-specific or cross-curricular know-how or skills, worked on in class, with the streams and options that open up after the core curriculum and with professional spheres and occupations ;
• discovering the various training options available at the end of the core curriculum ;
  meeting different types of people to help them plan their careers.

Progressive free compulsory education : 22/03/2024

The Pact for Excellence in Teaching includes the objective of gradually making compulsory education free.
A specific lump-sum grant of €75 is already allocated to schools in March each year for each pupil enrolled in the first two years of ordinary primary education and in maturity level 1 of specialised education, with a view to purchasing school supplies for the following school year.
Since March 2024, this measure has been extended to the third year of ordinary primary education and level 2 of specialised education.