Education

Help from social services for children in Belgian schools

GON (Gëintegreerd Onderwijs) :
Integrated Education. Children can follow normal education even though they have a disability. (For example a blind child who has normal ability). Special schools and mainstream schools have an agreement to work together. The student attends a mainstream school where (s)he will be guided by a teacher from a special school.

HINT (Handicap Information Tips = Handicap Informatie Tip):
This network of consultancies provides information and tips about all aspects of disabilities, such as education, travel, work etc. HINT can be contacted by disabled people or their families or employers, regardless of nationality. Their services are free of charge.

FLEMISH FUND FOR SOCIAL INTEGRATION OF DISABLED PERSONS:
(Vlaams Fonds voor Sociale Integratie van Personen met een Handicap). This is a public institution of the Flemish Community in Belgium. It exists to help disabled people grow in society. This fund gives advice and education, financial subsidies because of disability. In addition, registration with the fund can give entry to outpatients’ clinics, observation centres, etc. It is available to anyone resident in Belgium who is a citizen of the European Union, or who is a recognized political refugee. The precise conditions can be obtained from the provincial administration centre. Its services are free of charge.

CLB = Centre for Guidance = Centrum voor Leerlingenbegeleiding.
The purpose of these centres is to contribute to the well-being of students covering topics such as learning and studying, educational career, preventative health care, physical and social functioning. This involves coaching teachers, informing students during classes, having regular conversations with parents, getting to know about individual students etc. The centres work directly with the students, the teachers and the schools, and are free of charge.

Fonds Bruxellois pour les personnes handicapées:
Children with a disablilty in mainstream education can obtain special pedagogical help (for example a magnifying reading aid or Braille materials ). The parents can, via the school, obtain subsidies from this Fund.

Positive Discrimination:
An external commission from the university, not directly connected with the school, decides whether a school is carrying out positive discrimination, depending on the demographics of the area it serves. This commission sends a report to the French Community, which then decides whether and how to intervene, according to the means available. The system has been recently reviewed. Assistance is given in the form of financial subsidies, which can be managed by the school ( materials, personnel, operations, etc.)

Classes d’adaptation à la langue française:
Help for new arrivals to Belgium whose native language is not French. The parents must be resident in Belgium but not of Belgian nationality and the children must have attended the primary school for less than three years. There must be at least 10 children for this service to be available.

Ligue des Familles, Rue du Trône 127, B-1050 Brussels and mutuelles/mutualitieten will give advice.