{
    "title": "Dutch-language schools in Brussels short of places again",
    "modified_at": "2026-05-18 13:42:25",
    "published_at": "2026-05-18 13:42:00",
    "url": "https://www.belganewsagency.eu/dutch-language-schools-in-brussels-short-of-places-again",
    "short_url": "http://prez.ly/VWGd",
    "culture": "en_BE",
    "language": "EN",
    "slug": "dutch-language-schools-in-brussels-short-of-places-again",
    "body": "<p><strong>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.</strong></p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><sup>&copy; BELGA PHOTO DAVID STOCKMAN</sup></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>",
    "header": {
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    },
    "author": {
        "first_name": "Flanders",
        "last_name": "News Service"
    },
    "format_version": 5
}