Flemish Minister of Education Ben Weyts regrets that after the extended autumn break, the second and third degree will be compulsory for partial distance education. The educational umbrella organizations are particularly relieved that contact education is still largely intact.
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Flemish Minister of Education Ben Weyts (N-VA) is very concerned about this the new measures. He agrees with the extension of the autumn holidays until 15 November, but he regrets the obligation for schools in the second and third stages of secondary education to switch partially to distance learning.
From November 16 (until at least December 1), a maximum of 50 percent contact education will be allowed in those years.
Weyts is concerned about the young people “for whom school is actually the only safe haven.” And also ‘the schools that do not want this, even the schools that cannot do this, even the schools with very many vulnerable pupils’, make him uncomfortable.
The Consultation Committee announced a ‘stricter lockdown’ on Friday evening. It starts on Monday and will last at least six weeks. Prime Minister De Croo speaks of ‘last chance measures’ for healthcare and calls for solidarity.
Educational umbrella organizations are satisfied
Less sadness at the educational umbrella organizations. There they are satisfied that the majority of the pupils can still attend school full-time. ‘We now have to bite the bullet, so that hopefully we can welcome all pupils, course participants and students to school again as soon as possible,’ explains Lieven Boeve, director-general of Catholic Education Flanders.
“We had expected stricter measures given the problematic evolution of the figures,” said Raymonda Verdyck, managing director of GO !. ‘A positive aspect of these stricter measures is that the majority of the pupils can still attend school full-time and that we can also offer 50 percent contact education for pupils in the second and third grade of secondary education.’
Schools can fill this in themselves, taking into account their own local context, according to GO !. ‘Schools with a wide range of practical subjects can organize themselves in a different way than schools with a predominantly ASO offering. In this way we can still continue to reach every student at school and continue to provide the necessary support. We must pay extra attention to make this happen for vulnerable young people as well. ‘ The umbrella emphasizes that it has already learned a lot during the previous lockdown and that it can give better substance to distance learning.
Boeve also points out that schools are not alone. “Just like during the first lockdown, our pedagogical guidance supports our school teams in offering distance learning and keeping each student closely involved in the school life,” he concludes.
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