School principals ask Flemish Education minister for greater say in reforms
More than a thousand school principals from Dutch-speaking primary and secondary schools have signed a petition accompanying an open letter to Flemish Education minister Zuhal Demir. In it, they ask for a greater say in the development of new education measures. Demir met with a delegation of principals on Friday afternoon.
A group of school principals from various education networks drafted an open letter, which they say is not directed against the objectives of the reforms themselves, but rather against the way in which they are being implemented. Under the slogan “Minister, give schools a say”, the principals are calling for more consultation, more preparation time and greater trust in the expertise of schools.
According to the signatories of the petition accompanying the letter, successive reforms are placing significant organisational pressure on schools. They refer, among other things, to the reduction in assessment days, cuts in religious and philosophical education and changes to the support provided to new teachers. The teacher shortage and administrative burdens are also cited as additional challenges.
The school principals are calling, among other things, for a postponement of certain measures, greater flexibility for schools in organising assessments and language support, and a scaling back of certain cuts. They are also advocating for closer involvement of schools in future reforms.
The organisers gathered on Friday at the Koninklijk Atheneum in Antwerp to reinforce their appeal. They were also received by Education minister Demir in Brussels on Friday afternoon and expressed their satisfaction afterwards.
“We had a good discussion and believe the minister is listening to our concerns,” said Guy Voets, principal of the VIIO school group in Tongeren-Borgloon. “We are not a dissident group. We are simply asking that new educational measures be checked first with those on the ground, to assess what the impact will be. At the moment, everything is moving too fast.”
"At the moment, everything is moving too fast”
For her part, Demir showed understanding for their frustrations. “I understand that things are moving fast, but there is a sense of urgency because the quality of education has been in freefall over the past twenty years,” she said. “I want to press ahead, but I have no problem consulting informally with the principals. That will also be useful and interesting for me.”
#FlandersNewsService | Flemish minister for Education Zuhal Demir © BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS
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