Flemish minister launches plan to strengthen position Dutch language in Brussels
Flemish minister for Brussels Cieltje Van Achter has launched the Totaalplan Nederlands for Brussels, a plan to strengthen the position of the Dutch language in the capital. She is amongst others targeting language skills among children and youngsters.
Van Achter wants to use the Totaalplan to bring existing and new initiatives together in a single plan. The ambition is to enable the entire Flemish network in Brussels to work more closely together to strengthen the position of the Dutch language.
“The plan aims to encourage every Brussels resident to learn, practise and use Dutch,” said minister Van Achter. On the one hand, the focus is on good language skills among children and youngsters. The reasoning is that children who come into contact with Dutch at an early age are more likely to continue using the language.
Parents who choose Dutch-speaking childcare are expected to commit to actively participating in the community, for example by learning the language. A Brussels framework is also being developed for the use of Dutch at playgrounds and in contact with parents at schools.
Dutch is on the other hand also “the key to a better future” for Brussels adults, according to the minister. Good Dutch language skills can open the way to work, education and integration, she indicated.
The plan includes extra resources to provide more opportunities for Brussels residents who want to learn Dutch. It also aims to strengthen cooperation between the employment services VDAB and Actiris, so that more Brussels residents can find work in Flanders. Campaigns will be launched to make Dutch more visible in for example the hospitality and retail sectors.
A third pillar concerns the Brussels authorities, hospitals and emergency services. The minister will consult local authorities on Dutch-language services and compliance with the legal requirement for bilingualism. Efforts will be made to provide language support in hospitals and a pilot project will be launched in one hospital to improve the bilingualism of staff. Additional measures are being explored for the security services to structurally strengthen their knowledge of Dutch.
“From birth to old age, you must be able to make use of high-quality services in Dutch,” concluded Van Achter. “It must become self-evident that you can practise and use Dutch in Brussels.”
#FlandersNewsService | Flemish minister for Brussels and media Cieltje Van Achter © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
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