Education : In Belgium

• Education Requirements in Belgium.
• Help for children with learning difficulties and special educational needs in Belgian mainstream schools
• Help from social services for children in Belgian schools.
• Some “alternative” Belgian schools
  
• Special schools in the French Community
• Special Schools in Flanders

To find out more about what is available in the Belgian education system for children and young people with learning difficulties/disabilities see the website http://belgium.fgov.be/ (Information is available on the website in French, Dutch, German and English).

Information about all the schools in Belgium is available in the “Onderwijsgids” for the Flemish Community and the “Guide de l’Enseignement” for the French Community, both of which are available free from: F.Sacchi, rue Jorez 21, 1170 Brussels, tel. 02 556 03 56, fax 02 523 03 55.

Schools for children with disabilities and learning difficulties are divided into eight categories, and the child has to have an assessment test in order to ascertain which category of school will be most appropriate. Information about the eight types of special school is available in the Guide de l’Enseignement / Onderwijsgids, or from the ECOC office, or see this website, sections “Special Education in Flanders” and “Special Education in Wallonia”.

Information about all Francophone social services in Belgium is available in the “Guide Social”, which is available from C.P.G.A.D.I.M. (Centre d’Etude sur l’Activité Medico-Sociale et l’Association pour la Diffusion de l’Information Medico-Sociale): Avenue de Martin Pêcheur 21, 1170 Brussels, tel. 02 675 75 00 or 02 675 40 00, fax 02 675 35 94 or see http://www.guidesocial.com/

It contains information about all the French Community facilities available for children and young people with disabilities, whether mental or physical. The Guide Social costs around 1400 Belgian francs.

Equivalent information about the Flemish Community is available in the “Sociale Kaart van Vlaanderen” from Kluwer Editoriaal: Uitgeverij, tel. 02 719 15 11, fax 02 719 15 19, website http://www.editionskluwer.be

Brochures are available in English giving information on Flemish primary education in Flanders and Brussels.

The same brochures are available in French ”Manual for Parents of Children in Elementary Education” and “Education in Flanders”. They can be obtained from the Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap, Departement Coordinatie, Administratie Buitenlands Beleid, Boudewijnlaan 30, 1000 Brussel, tel. +32 (0)2 507 60 32, fax +32 2 507 60 37, e-mail info.abb@vlaanderen.be.

Further information about Flemish education resources: http://home2.pi.be/johanleo/links.htm http://bop.vgc.be/onderwijs/taalvaart/index.html