Dutch-language schools in Brussels short of places again

More families have applied for Dutch-language secondary schools in Brussels than there are places available, leaving 959 pupils without a school place after the first registration round.

Figures from the LOP Brussels Secondary Education show strong demand for both entry years of secondary school, known as 1A and 1B. Year 1A is for pupils who receive a primary school certificate, while 1B is aimed at pupils who need more practical learning and extra support.

In 1A, 3,642 children applied for 3,027 places. In 1B, 770 pupils applied for only 426 places. Despite the shortage, 2,890 pupils in 1A and 418 in 1B were offered places.

More than four in five pupils received their first-choice school, while 96% were placed in one of their top three choices, according to LOP chairman Petrus Van den Cruyce.

The shortage is partly caused by parents registering children for both 1A and 1B at the same time because they are unsure whether their child will receive a primary school certificate.

For now, 752 pupils in 1A and 352 in 1B still do not have a place. Many of these families had applied to only one school, which greatly reduced their chances of getting a place.

^{© BELGA PHOTO DAVID STOCKMAN}