Like in kindergarten
Adults often say that children argue about little things. In Belgium there are Flemings who speak Dutch and Walloons who speak French. There used to be a lot of disputes between these groups and to this day members of the Flemish people often quarrel with the Walloons. Often there is no reason to do so, it is simply a matter of origin and prejudice against one another.
For example, it is said that Flemings are very shy and have problems approaching people. The Walloons are more open, but also unorganized and sometimes confused. Many Belgians agree with these prejudices. In order to really check whether this is the case, you should perhaps travel to Belgium yourself and get an idea of the people instead of listening to age-old prejudices. Adults sometimes behave like in kindergarten.
What are the names of the children in Belgium?
In Belgium, too, there is a hit list for first names that changes from year to year. It is noticeable that there are of course many French-sounding first names such as Marie, Elise, Julie, Camille, Juliette or Chloé. The boys are often called Louis, Liam, Maxime, Jules, Victor or Alexandre. But you will also meet Emma, Lea or Charlotte alongside Clara, Sarah, Laura, Luna, Nia or Ella. Just like Loah, Lucas, Mathis, Thomas, Adam or Arthur or Mohamed. Tom, Lars, Simon are also not uncommon. Popular first names among the Flemings are Milan, Wout, Robbe, Senne or Seppe, Dann and Rune.
Euthanasia for children
There is euthanasia for children in Belgium. This was laid down in a law. If children are terminally ill and they are in great pain, euthanasia can be performed. Of course only with the consent of the parents and the child concerned. The child must have expressed the wish themselves. In Germany there is no such law, here no euthanasia is allowed for children. But it was discussed for a long time in Belgium too.
The colors in the picture mean:
Blue: active euthanasia permitted
Yellow: assisted suicide (assisted suicide) permitted
Green: passive or indirect euthanasia permitted
Red: no form of euthanasia legal / any form of euthanasia prohibited by law
Black: unclear legal situation
School
Compulsory education and elementary school
In Belgium, schooling is compulsory up to the age of 18. Up to the age of 15 you have to attend the school full-time, after that you can also attend the school part-time. Belgian pupils can also start an apprenticeship at the age of 15. This then lasts three years. But all children up to the age of 18 definitely have to go to school. In a teaching, both are then combined. The elementary school is called primary school and lasts a total of six years. This is followed by a primary school leaving certificate. Check top-mba-universities to see schooling information in other European countries.
This is followed by the secondary level, which is divided into two levels, each lasting two years. It begins with the observation stage, followed by an orientation stage and then the determination stage. Within the orientation level, the students can then decide which major and minor subjects to choose. A distinction is made here again between three different forms of instruction: general, technical and vocational instruction.
A school year in Belgium always starts on September 1st and ends on June 30th. The children have vacation in July and August, i.e. always two months. There are also holidays at Christmas, Easter and Mardi Gras. The Belgian schools are all-day schools and classes last until the afternoon.
Successful in a school comparison!
Belgium always scores very well in school comparisons. Flanders in particular stands out here. The support of the children starts here in kindergarten and the elementary school lasts, unlike in most German federal states, six years, so that the differences between the children can be adjusted over a longer period of time.
There are also social differences in Belgium, but the consequences are not as striking as in Germany. The schools in Belgium work very independently and are therefore much more responsible for the success or failure and make an effort accordingly. There are no curricula, but the schools and teachers are checked every few years to see whether they are teaching well.
Support for everyone
In some schools, for example, children sit in the second grade in maths, but go to the first graders to learn to read if they still have difficulties reading and writing. Often not just one teacher teaches, but two teachers take care of a class. The third and fourth grades are also taught together, so that the children – if they learn more slowly – cannot stay seated like we do in Germany.
Types of schools in Belgium
But there are many different schools in Belgium. There are those that are entirely financed by the state and those that receive grants from the state, schools in the communities, schools in the individual religious communities and free schools. The children can also attend private schools. It doesn’t cost anything to go to a state school.
But since the schools are somehow in competition with one another, they all want to be good so that the number of students is as high as possible. This then has a positive effect on the lessons. Primary school students in Germany have to attend primary school exactly where they live. It’s different in Belgium, where the parents themselves decide where to send their children to school.
