Conference 2000Belgium
Partnership in Education in the French
Speaking Community of Belgium
1.1
Background
The
state of Belgium was founded in 1830. The
constitution provided the structures of a unitary
centralised State, with a constitutional monarch at
its head.
In 1999
Belgium had a population of around 10 million in an
area of just of 30,000 square kilometres.
The main
areas of employment are industry (27.5%) and the
services (70%), with only 2.5% now employed in
agriculture. There is a 13.5% unemployment rate.
Since
1970, after four consecutive phases of reform of the
constitution, Belgium has evolved to a federal state,
composed of three communities (Flemish, French and
German-speaking) and three regions (Flemish, Walloon
and Brussels). Each of the Communities and regions
has legislative and executive autonomy with respect
to its own attributions. The councils of the
communities and regions, as legislative authorities,
pass regulations in the form of "decrees",
which have force of law within their territory.
The
communities are responsible for cultural matters,
education, person-related matters (welfare, health
care) and language. The regions are responsible for
economy, energy, public works and transport, town and
country planning and the environment. The federal
state retains the main responsibility for foreign
affairs, defence, justice, finance and social
legislation.
Below
the regions there are 10 provinces and 589 communes
responsible for provincial and local matters
(including education).
The
Belgian Constitution guarantees the separation of
church and state. There is therefore no official
religion. The catholic church is the most widespread.
1.2 Basic
Principles : Education
Article
17 of the Belgian Constitution, established in 1831,
guarantees freedom of education. This principle was
meant to eliminate any monopoly on education. It also
implies freedom of choice for parents, who may enrol
their children in any school which subscribes to
their philosophical or religious convictions.
Only
education administered by the communities is neutral,
respecting all philosophical and religious beliefs.
All schools organised by public authorities must
offer a choice between instruction in a recognised
religion or secular moral instruction.
The
constitution also establishes the right to
education. The corollary of this principle is that
access to education is free of charge
throughout the period of compulsory education.
1.3
Distribution of Responsibilities
The
constitutional reforms of 1980 and 1989 transferred
responsibility for education from the state to the
communities. Since 1 January 1989, and as stipulated
in Article 59 of the constitution, only three very
specific areas have remained under the control of the
Federal State,
fixing
the start and finish of compulsory schooling,
minimum
conditions for the award of diplomas,
the
pension scheme for teachers.
All
other educational matters have been transferred to
the three communities. They are responsible for
education within their linguistic area and, as
concerns the French and Flemish communities, with
regard to French or Dutch speaking establishments in
bilingual areas (such as exist in Brussels). The
educational responsibilities of each community are
vested in the community council (legislative power)
and the Community Government and Education Minister
(executive power).
The
Federal State continues to administer the tax system
for the whole of Belgium and allocates funds to the
Communities in accordance with detailed criteria set
out in an Act of 16 January 1989. In education, the
annual amount is calculated on the basis of the
reference year 1987 and adjusted partially each year
in relation to population trends. In 1989, the
Flemish Community received 56.2% of the funds, the
French and German speaking communities 43.8%. A
special act sets out the amount of funding the German
speaking community receives.
The
communities are also responsible for apprenticeships
and initial training for the independent professions
and for the managers of SME’s, through
specialised bodies.
1.4
Compulsory Education
According
to the act of 29 June 1983 compulsory education lasts
for 12 years, from 6 to 18 years of age. Children are
required to attend school full-time up to the age of
15, completing primary education and at least the
first two years of secondary education.
Pupils
who have not completed the first two years of
secondary education are required to attend full-time
education until the age of 16. Those who do not wish
to continue full-time until 18 may then follow
compulsory part-time education up to age of 18.
Part-time
compulsory education is defined as studies in a
recognised establishment, in the form of either
part-time study or a recognised training course.
1.5
Structure
22/23
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UNIVERSITY
|
NON-UNIVERSITY
|
APPRENTICE
|
21/22
|
EDUCATION
|
EDUCATION
|
|
20/21
|
|
UNIVERSITY
LEVEL
|
NON-
UNIVERSITY LEVEL
|
EMPLOYMENT
TRAINING
AGREEMENT
|
19/20
|
|
|
|
|
18/19
|
|
|
|
|
19
|
SPECIALISATION OR FURTHER
EDUCATION
|
|
|
|
18
|
|
SECONDARY EDUCATION
|
PART
TIME
|
APPRENTICESHIP
|
17
|
CYCLE
III
|
TYPE
II
|
|
EDUCATION
|
|
16
|
TYPE
1
|
2nd
CYCLE
|
|
|
|
15
|
CYCLE
II
|
|
|
|
|
14
|
|
|
UNIFIED
|
|
|
13
|
CYCLE
1
|
1ST
CYCLE
|
STRUCTURE
|
|
|
12
|
|
|
|
|
|
11
|
CYCLE III
|
10
|
|
9
|
CYCLE II
|
8
|
PRIMARY EDUCATION
|
7
|
CYCLE I
|
6
|
|
5
|
|
4
|
|
3
|
PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION
|
2
|
|
1
|
|
2.1
Parents in School Decision Making
2.1.1
Situation until July 24 1997
As a
result of the parent’s freedom of choice four
different school networks of state financed
institutions and totally private schools are existing
in the French speaking part of Belgium (the situation
in the Dutch and German speaking parts is not so
different).
Until
the recent decree on parental participation (see
below) the position of parents in school decision
making depended on the nature of the school network,
viz.,
The
State network - official or state schools
- organised, financed and controlled by the
state. During the period of compulsory
education these schools provide free
education.
The
local authorities network - organised by
‘provinces and communes’:-these
schools are also a part of the official
network but local authorities have the will
and the opportunity to implement their ideas
on education and curricular issues. All these
schools, from pre-school education to High
Schools (tertiary education), are members of
an umbrella called the Permanent Council of
the Official and Neutral (philosophically
speaking) Education.
Other
school networks, some totally private and
non-subsidised, also exist mainly at primary level.
2.1.2
Parent’s Participation in School Life
Since
the beginning of the 1950’s two parent’s
associations have been recognised by the Ministry of
Education
FAPEO
- Federation of Parents of the
Official Education,
This embraces the two official networks
(state and local authorities). In some cases
the association is recognised by the ministry
and the media as a consultative body in the
educational system. The FAPEI is also
consulted, as are the teacher’s trade
unions, in the general framework of the so
called ‘social dialogue’ as a
partner in seeking consultation and advice.
The FAPEO is organised on a decentralised
basis and has a local section in some
schools. Usually local parent’s
associations are most often used as the
partner in charge of school activities to
earn money or advertise the school. Only in a
very few schools the parent’s
association has, formally or informally, a
presence in the school decision making
process.
UAPEC
- Union of Parents Associations of the
Catholic Schools Network
Due to the specific organisation of catholic
schools the parent’s associations are an
important part of the organising body in each
school. From a financial point of view
parents have to contribute to the ordinary
and extraordinary budget trough tuition fees
and gifts. They are also involved in every
extra-classroom activity (sports, travel,
fairs etc.) on a voluntary basis. They can
therefore become a real power within their
school.
2.2 The
Decree of July 24 1997
This
decree has had a significant impact on parental
participation in school decision making and the
decree of July 1997 is an educational revolution so
far as parent’s participation is concerned.
Article
69 of the Decree refers to the "Council of
Participation"
In every
primary and secondary school a ‘Council of
Participation’ (CP) must be set up. The CP is
comprised of representatives of the ‘Organising
Power’ (OP),which will be state, local
authorities. There are also elected members from the
other school bodies, ie. teachers, students parents,
administrative staff.
Full right members
|
3 to 6
|
Nominated by the OP
|
Elected members
|
3 to 6
|
Teacher’s
representatives
|
| |
3 to 6
|
Student’s
representatives
|
| |
3 to 6
|
Parent’s
representatives
|
| |
1
|
Administrative
|
Nominated by the OP
|
3 to 6
|
Representatives from the
social, cultural and/or economic world
|
The OP
chooses the number of teacher, student and parental
representatives. In the state organised schools full
members will include the School Director (Principal)
and delegates from the Ministry of Education.
Elections
for the different bodies are organised by schools (in
a secret ballot). The teachers’ representatives
are elected for two years but they can be re-elected
for one or more terms of office.
The key
functions of the council are,
I. To
discuss or modify the school project proposed by the
OP;
II. To
assess the implementation of the school project;
III. To
give advice and comment on the annual school report.
In the
actual organisation parental participation is only a
part of a general process regulated by law. In
practice the system is very bureaucratic. Parents,
students and teachers are more or less convinced that
they have to participate but consider that the real
decisions cannot be taken in the participation
councils. The danger of that feeling is evident and
unfortunately, means that politicians will keep the
decision making process in their own hands.
Regrettably,
after only one year of existence, many participation
council meetings have become redundant because of the
non-participation of parents and/or students.
3.1
Special Issues
Most of
the French speaking schools of Belgium are now in a
more or less difficult situation from a legal point
of view. The old system of parental participation in
school life is being replaced by the new and
bureaucratic one decided from the top. Parents have
suddenly, without any training, to take part in
educational debates. Student representatives also
hesitate to participate with the other members of the
participation council mainly because they have not
been prepared to be active and see school principals,
teachers and even parents as the different symbols of
educational authority. A further problem is that the
aims and objectives of the decree are not so clear.
Due to the economic situation different debates have
to become an actuality in the next months.
It would
appear that the will of the ministry is to associate
or to use parents in difficult decision making
processes, including,
tuition
fees in compulsory education
the
lowering of compulsory education
the
re-organisation of vocational training at
compulsory education level.
Looking
at the experience of countries in the field of
parental participation in school decision making it
appears that while participation has been widely
advocated there are still tensions between the school
and the family. Parents who are members of school
councils favour participation while teachers still
express some doubt about the positive aspects
(Salomon et Corneau, 1998).
It is
clear that we, in the French speaking part of
Belgium, have still ways of creating favourable
conditions for greater and more effective parental
participation in school decision making.
Philippe
Renard
Bibliography
Salomon
& J Comeau - La participation des parents a l’é
cole primaire - trente ans aprè s : un objectif encore
à atteindre, Revue internationale de Pé dagogie, vol 44
(2 - 3), Paris, 1998, pages 251 - 267
Le conseil
de participation in Trialogue, no. 11, FAPEO, Bruxelles,
1998, p 4 - 8
Association
de parents - mode emploie, FAPEO, Bruxelles, 1997
Decret du 24
Juillet 1997, Ministè re de l’Education de la
Communauté Franç aise de Belgique, Bruxelles, 1997
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