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Eurydice

EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice

Belgium - French Community

The organisation of the academic year 2025/2026 in the French Community of Belgium is as follows : 

 

Beginning of the academic year14 September
Period(s) when there are teaching activities

The first term starts on 14 September 2025 ; the second on 1 February 2026 ; the third on 1 July 2026. 

The two first terms include at least 12 weeks of teaching activity. 

National Information

Further readings

Belgium - French Community - Overview | Eurydice (europa.eu)

Registration fee requirements

Fee amounts in higher education

Conditions for financial support

Conditions for family allocations

Family allocations

Family allocations Wallonie

Alternative pedagogies

Several pre-primary schools have adopted teaching methods that are based on the educational principles of educationalists such as Decroly, Freinet or Steiner.  These institutions are often named after these pedagogues.

Objectives and accessibility

Home-based care is delivered by childminders who either work independently (accueillantes d’enfants autonomes) or are affiliated with specific childminding organisations (accueillantes d’enfants conventionnées). Home-based provision is the responsibility of the Birth and Childhood Office (Office de la Naissance et de l’Enfance (ONE)) of the French Community, which is under the authority of the Ministry of Culture, Childhood and Continuing Education.

Steering documents

As part of the reform of the Pact for Excellence in Teaching, all the learning content for children from the first year of pre-primary education to the third year of secondary education has been reviewed to define a new common core based on eight areas of learning, and knowledge and skills adapted to the 21st century, gradually replacing the core skills that had been used since 1997.

Steering document

The Childcare Quality Code (17 December 2003) establishes a loose framework to guide professionals working with children in order to ensure high-quality care for all children. All childcare settings must comply with it. The code aims to :

Admission requirements and choice of setting

Pre-primary education caters for children aged 2.5 years (on 30 September of the current school year) to 5 years or, in exceptional cases, 6 years.
From the 2020/2021 school year, compulsory schooling applies to all children who are at least 5 years old by 31 December.
Parents have a free choice regarding the school attended by their child.

Admission requirements and choice of ECEC setting

There are various forms of childcare from which parents are free to choose: in a centre-based or home-based setting, subsidised or non-subsidised.