The Belgian Education System

Key facts

Generalities

In Belgium, there are 3 main education systems. Each education system corresponds to a specific linguistic community in Belgium (French-speaking, Flemish-speaking and German-speaking), and each has its own institutions, curricula, teaching methods and assessment systems.

The presented information above concern the French-speaking Belgium education system because we only visited schools in Brussels. Indeed, this system is managed by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.

Evaluation and exams

In Belgium, students are evaluated with continuous testing, the frequency depending on the teachers and the school. However, on the contrary to the French education system, there is two big test sessions organized two times a year, in December and in June. The revision periods of these exams are known as “blockades” (“blocus” in french).

There are two national exams at the end of each cycle, which are required to move on to the next cycle:

The CEB (Certificate d’Etudes de Base/Certificate of basics studies) to complete primary school and access secondary school.
The CESS (Certificat d’Enseignement Secondaire Supérieur/Certificate of Upper Secondary Education) to complete secondary school and access higher education.

The notation system is a 0 to 20 points scales, 10 being the average.

Our trip in Belgium

The British Junior Academy of Brussels is a private school for international students (kindergarten, primary and secondary) based on the British national curriculum using a modern pedagogical approach.

The Lycée Intégral Roger Lallemand is a high school with a pedagogical approach that reconciles intellectual and manual work (“integral education”), and the empowerment of students who participate in the co-management of the school.

Out of the box is a private program for school dropouts aged 15 to 20, which adopts a creative and alternative pedagogical approach to reconcile students with education.

The Maris Stella Institute is a catholic public secondary school located in the commune of Laeken, near Brussels.

From manneken pis to belgian fries...

Because sometimes pictures convey more than words can express...

This country is amazing !

Everyone could be a teacher : you need to be organized, to find your passion and to enjoy it. It is not an easy job, it takes a lot of time. You have to find the right subject and age.

Victoria Cowx

Beputy head and teacher at BJAB