Brussels Faces Drastic Measures to Avert Teacher Salary Crisis, Experts Urge
Brussels – A committee of experts has proposed a series of perhaps disruptive measures to stabilize the finances of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FWB), including reforms impacting teachers‘ salaries, student fees, and educational programs. The recommendations come as the FWB grapples with a growing deficit and rising debt interest charges.
facing a potential inability to pay teachers, the committee suggests several avenues for savings within higher education, where expenditure per student is already 22% lower than in the Flemish community. These include increasing the minerval (student tuition fees),which haven’t been indexed since 2011,reforming study allowances,and raising contributions from European students.
Further cost-cutting measures focus on streamlining education. Experts advocate for reducing the theoretical and effective duration of studies through improved student orientation, revaluing short-cycle training programs, and shortening course lengths. This coudl involve limiting course offerings or forcing mergers between Hautes écoles,even those within different networks.
The proposals extend beyond higher education. The committee suggests mergers and increased registration fees in adult education, reforming financing for crèches with potential parental invoicing (a monthly package instead of per-day charges), savings at RTBF, modifying pricing policies for cultural institutions (limiting free access to those in need), and decreasing the number of ADEPS sports centers – currently 17 in FWB compared to 3 Bloso centers in Flanders.
The Committee of Experts acknowledges the “human, social and political difficulties” these recommendations will likely generate, but stresses their “absolute necessity” and “extreme urgency.” They note that the current government’s goal of reducing the deficit from 1.5 to 1.2 billion euros is only a “first step,” particularly as debt interest charges are projected to rise from 288 million euros in 2025 to 583 million euros in 2029.
The expert committee includes Henri Bogaert, Etienne de Callatay, Philippe Defeyt, Fanny Dethier, Etienne Denoël, Alexandre Girard, Jean Hindriks, Delphine Van Hoolandt and Magali Verdonck.
