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Eurydice

EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice

Belgium - French Community

The organisation of the academic year 2024 /2025 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 2024 ; the second on 1 February 2025 ; the third on 1 July 2025. 

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

National information

Belgium - French Community - Teachers' salaries and allowances

Teachers' salaries and allowances

  • Teachers’ remuneration is regulated by top level authorities.
  • The minimum qualification level for teachers is ISCED 6 at all education levels. However, at upper-secondary level, most teachers have a ISCED 7 qualification. 
  • Salary progression depends on years of service and further formal qualification. The higher qualification is taken into consideration with relation to the remuneration assigned.
  • Teachers have civil servant status.

School heads' salaries

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    National information

    Belgium - French Community - School heads' salaries and allowances

    School heads' salaries and allowances

    • School heads’ remuneration is regulated by top level authorities.
    • The minimum qualification for school heads is ISCED 6 at all education levels. For recruitment 3 years in service is required. After a 2-year internship, school heads can be permanently appointed, provided they have successfully completed the initial training modules for school heads and have at least 6 years’ experience.
    • Salary progression is based on seniority in teaching or public administration in general. There is a first increase at 1 year of seniority, a second at 2 years, a third at 5 years of seniority followed by increase every 2 years of seniority for all scales, and at 27 years for scales attributed to directors with a bachelor's degree. Another increase is provided at age 61 and 62. 

    Teachers' salaries

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      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.