International School Ghent opens secondary section for children of expats

Ghent's International School will open a secondary section next school year so that older children of international researchers, diplomats or professional footballers can continue to be educated there.

The International School Ghent was founded in 2012 to support the growing international community in Flanders. Today, some 100 pre-school and primary school children are being taught in English in line with an international curriculum. They come from 30 countries. Similar schools exist in cities with a large international community, such as Brussels, Antwerp and Leuven.

In Ghent, the school is a collaboration of Ghent University, research institute VIB, five large companies and chamber of commerce VOKA. Production sites of multinational companies such as Volvo, Barco and ArcelorMittal are carrying out pioneering research in Ghent. The university wants the international talent needed for this - and to later propagate the technology abroad - to be supported during their relatively short stay in Belgium. From the next school year , the new building on De Pintelaan will also house a secondary department.

"In the international war for talent, many factors come into play, and good English-language education is one of them"

"If we want to attract international talent, we must ensure that expats and internationals feel at home here and that their children receive quality education," says Ghent's councillor for Economy Sofie Bracke. "Only then will our companies be able to recruit top talent from abroad, and our city can continue to grow as a technology capital."

The registration fee for the ISG is over 20,000 euros, as no subsidy is provided. However, financial support is provided by VOKA East and West Flanders. "Due to the tight labour market, companies are increasingly forced to recruit abroad," managing director Bert Mons says. "In the international war for talent, many factors come into play, and good English-language education is one of them."

(BRV)

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