Only 20 per cent of Flemish schools offer subjects in different languages
Barely one in five schools in Flanders offers subjects in multiple languages, according to new research by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), VRT reports. The study says that schools with higher numbers of vulnerable students are the least likely to provide multilingual education, a gap that researchers warn could widen inequality in future job prospects.
The study focuses on content and language integrated learning (CLIL), a teaching method in which a subject such as geography or accounting is taught in a language other than Dutch, typically English or French.
Researchers found that only 22 per cent of schools in Flanders offer such programmes. CLIL is particularly rare in schools with disadvantaged populations, which the researchers attribute to a combination of structural challenges and limited resources.
Offering CLIL requires schools to run a parallel Dutch-language programme, effectively doubling teaching needs. At a time of severe teacher shortages, this poses a significant obstacle.
Improved Dutch skills
In addition, some educators remain cautious, believing that multilingual education could hinder the Dutch proficiency of students who already speak another language at home. However, VUB researchers say the opposite appears true: multilingual learning does not harm Dutch skills and can even improve them.
The findings suggest that CLIL, originally introduced by the EU in the 1990s as a way to make students trilingual by 18, has become concentrated in schools with stronger academic profiles. Researchers warn that what was intended as an inclusive tool for all pupils has, in practice, become “a perk for strong students”.
According to the study, this imbalance risks deepening inequalities in the labour market. Language skills remain a key factor in employability, and the lack of multilingual learning opportunities for vocational or disadvantaged students could further reduce their chances later in life.
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