Flemish Education minister meets with pupils amid calls for school strike
The Flemish Pupils’ Council met Education minister Zuhal Demir on Wednesday to discuss her planned education reforms and growing dissatisfaction among pupils. "This is not about pandering to students, but about identifying where the problems lie, what we can do together and what we cannot," Demir said.
The meeting comes amid calls on TikTok for a strike on Thursday, sparked by Demir’s reforms. Pupils have expressed anger over the ban on smartphones in schools and, in particular, the scrapping of certain days off, such as study days and the period between exams and holidays.
According to Lieselore Wouters, chair of the Vlaamse Scholierenkoepel, many pupils feel their freedom is being curtailed. "The way and timing of the minister’s communication has also been unfortunate," she said ahead of the meeting. "Pupils miss debate and participation."
Asked whether the strike could influence her approach, Demir was firm. "No. We will continue to focus on improving quality and ensuring there is a teacher in every classroom," she said, stressing that she was adhering to the coalition agreement.
The call to strike on 22 January has gained traction on social media. Videos by RedFox, the youth movement of the far-left PVDA party, urging pupils to protest have amassed around 290,000 views on TikTok.
A survey among 661 Flemish secondary school teachers suggests uncertainty about the scale of the protests. More than half of respondents said they had no idea how many pupils at their school would take part. Around 27 per cent expect only a small number of pupils to strike, while 15 per cent believe no one will participate. Just 4 per cent think many pupils will join the protest.
Despite the meeting, Demir also made clear that joining the protest might have repercussions. "Striking is truancy, and that is not allowed," she said. "I have great confidence in our schools and assume they will respond appropriately."
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA VIDEO MAARTEN WEYNANTS / BELGA PHOTO ELIAS ROM
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