This article discusses changes to the CEB (Certificat d’Enseignement de Base) in Belgium, specifically focusing on the introduction of new, more demanding learning objectives for primary school students.
Here’s a breakdown of the key points:
Increased expectations for Young Learners:
Kindergarten: children will be expected to learn more at an earlier age. For example, they will need to recognize at least 15 letters and pronounce their sounds, and learn numbers from zero to twenty in mathematics.
Geography: Even in third kindergarten, children will be expected to know they live in Belgium, name a local river, and have heard of the Nile. By fourth primary, they should be able to locate their region, name all Belgian provinces, and identify major Belgian landmarks. By sixth primary, they will need to know all EU countries and their capitals, and identify world powers like China and Russia.
Phased Implementation:
The Flemish government is implementing these changes progressively.
Next year (2025-2026): Nothing changes immediately, but schools can voluntarily adopt the new objectives.
2026-2027: Kindergartens and the first three years of primary will integrate new objectives in Dutch, mathematics, science, and technology.
Following year (2027-2028): These same years will integrate the new objectives across all subjects. 2027-2028: Fourth and fifth primary will see changes in “key” subjects (Dutch, mathematics, science, and technology).
2028-2029: Sixth primary will have its program changed. From 2028-2029 onwards: All new objectives will become compulsory in fourth primary, and then in higher grades in subsequent years.
Concerns and Opposition:
the opposition parties (like Groen) raised concerns about the sector’s ability to implement such a notable reform quickly. They attempted to postpone the changes by a year.
Teaching unions also requested more time and resources, fearing a “two-speed education” system where some schools might be better equipped to handle the changes than others. The PVDA voted against the reform, suggesting that the core issues were not being addressed.
In essence, the article highlights a push for higher academic standards in Belgian primary education, with a focus on earlier acquisition of knowledge and a more structured curriculum. However, it also points to the challenges and concerns surrounding the rapid implementation of these changes.
