Homeschooling sees fourfold increase in five years
The number of pupils being homeschooled in Flanders has quadrupled over the past five years. Antwerp accounts for more than half of the 5,600 children now being taught at home.
While education is compulsory in Belgium, attending school is not. Parents who choose to educate their children at home must report this to the regional government.
An initial striking increase in home education was seen during the pandemic, when the number of pupils rose from 1,379 in the 2019-2020 school year to 1,990 a year later.
The figures, requested by Flemish MP Loes Vandromme of CD&V from Education minister Zuhal Demir of N-VA, do not distinguish between primary and secondary education.
Checks stepped up
The trend continued steadily in the following years. Then, at the start of the 2023-2024 year, 2,605 pupils were added to the number of home-schooled children, bringing the total to 5,615. This is an increase of 307 per cent from five years ago and an 86 per cent rise in one year.
The growth is almost entirely attributable to the province of Antwerp, where the number of pupils being homeschooled more than tripled in one year, from 1,035 to 3,214.
Demir announced in May that she would step up checks to prevent abuse. The education inspectorate also checks whether children become socially isolated through being taught at home.
In the 2023-2024 school year, there were 766 checks: 28 received a double negative assessment. Two negative assessments mean the child must return to formal schooling the following term. In the last year, 13 cases were also forwarded to the public prosecutor’s office for issues including neglect.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND
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