Education and Training Monitor 2024

1. Learning for sustainability

Learning for sustainability is part of the long-term ecological commitments of the various levels of Belgian government. In Flanders, the Nature and Environmental Education programme implements the educational objectives of various regional strategies on climate and sustainability education¹. In the French Community, the Transversal Plan for the Ecological Transition² integrates sustainability principles across its remit. It includes specific measures to promote environmental education, in-service training for teachers and the development of pedagogical tools for teaching about climate and energy issues. Since 2011, an agreement³ between the French Community, the Brussels Capital Region and Wallonia aims to promote and develop learning for sustainability and to provide resources for schools and educators. As part of this cooperation, the Action Programme for 2021-24⁴ aims to strengthen outdoor education to reconnect students with nature and to embed sustainability and environmental education systematically in school management plans and in the pedagogical programmes implementing the new common core curriculum. Learning for sustainability is part of the curricula in all three Communities of Belgium and is defined as a key competence⁵ (BEnl) or as an important sub-element of other cross-cutting competences⁶ (BEfr and BEde). At primary and secondary levels, the instruction covers the competence areas (as defined in the GreenComp framework) of valuing sustainability, promoting nature, systems thinking and individual and collective action in all three systems, while futures literacy and political agency is present explicitly in the German-speaking Community (European Commission/Eurydice, 2024a).

Dedicated networks and knowledge centres support schools and teachers in developing sustainability competences. Around half of all schools in the Flemish Community participate in the MOS (Sustainable Schools, Smart Schools) network, founded in 2001, which welcomes any kindergarten, primary and secondary school working on creating a sustainable learning environment⁷. MOS provides tailored guidance for participating schools to adopt a whole-school approach to sustainability education. Schools can apply to become eco-schools to receive additional public subsidies, for instance, for greening their playgrounds. In addition, the Flemish sustainability education hub (Duurzaam Educatiepunt⁸), run by the Department of Environment, offers teaching resources and practical tools to improve learning for sustainability – such as the Klimax inspiration tool⁹ for teaching about the climate for primary and secondary school teachers. It also operates two sustainable education centres with programmes for teachers, students and the general public. In Wallonia and the Brussels Capital Region, schools can participate in the international Eco-Schools programme, managed by the Coren association¹⁰. Furthermore, a network of 145 organisations active in environmental education (réseau IDée¹¹) has produced a variety of pedagogical tools and resources.

Sustainability is not formally included in initial teacher training in the Communities. In the French community, the Sustainability Commission of the federation of higher education institutions (ARES) has issued guidance for integrating learning for sustainability in initial teacher education¹². The 2021-2024 Action Programme also plans a more systemic embedding of the topic in initial teacher training and the sharing of good practice. Sustainability is integrated into the continuous professional development programmes offered by various school networks. In Flanders, the MOS programme and the sustainability education hub propose continuous professional development (CPD) activities on sustainability for teachers and school heads.

Current practices of learning for sustainability have a positive impact on student knowledge, but effects are weaker on behaviours. Studies on Flemish eco-schools has shown that these programmes have an educational impact, but the effects on students’ environmental attitudes and motivation are limited: they reduce their utilisation of natural resources, but do not inspire independent actions towards preservation (Boeve-de Pauw & Van Petegem, 2013a, 2017). An evaluation of the MOS programme observed a strong positive impact on both theoretical and applied knowledge among both primary and secondary students, but found a smaller impact on environmental behaviour, and only in primary education (Boeve- de Pauw & Van Petegem, 2013b). The assessment also showed that teachers’ intrinsic motivation can be increased by developing shared leadership, shared goals and supportive relationships. Policy developments in both the French¹³ and the Flemish Communities place a greater emphasis on outdoor education and direct contact with the natural environment from an early age (OECD 2023a). In this regard, a study in the province of Liège found that while there is a high interest in pursuing outdoor education among pre-school teachers, material and cultural barriers prevent it from becoming part of mainstream education (Jidovtseff et al., 2021). Flemish teachers reported that a clear policy vision on engagement with nature in secondary education at community and school level would help empower them (Department of Environment, 2023).

2. Early childhood education and care

Belgium has surpassed the EU-level targets of participation in early childhood education and care. In 2022, 98.4% of children aged between 3 and 5 years (start of compulsory education) attended pre-school, well above the EU average of 93.1%. In 2023, Belgium reached its national Barcelona target¹⁴ (53.9%) with a participation rate in formal childcare of 56.3% among children under 3 years old, continuing a steady growth trajectory. Among children at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE) between the ages 0-2, 42.5% attended formal childcare in 2023 compared to 58.6% of non-AROPE children. This is above the EU average (25.2% AROPE vs. 41% non-AROPE), but the gap nevertheless remains significant.

Belgium is making progress in implementing the national action plan for the European Child Guarantee to increase accessibility to ECEC. Flanders has recently mobilised EUR 270 million to improve the quality of childcare services and to create an additional 5 000 places (ECG Midterm report, 2024). In 2023, 80.1% of childcare places received means-tested fee subsidies, that is, parents pay a fee that is based on their family income (Opgroeien, 2024). In 2024, the Flemish government announced additional funding to convert more places receiving basic subsidies to means-tested subsidies. Providers receiving such subsidies must reach a target of 20% of children from vulnerable families of all children admitted annually¹⁵. Since 2023, the French Community has reinforced the prioritisation for vulnerable families by increasing financial assistance: from 2023, families entitled to receive increased health insurance benefits are fully exempted from childcare fees. And from 2024, an additional 70% fee reduction was introduced for single parents. As of 2025, the contribution system based on parental income will be fully revised. In March 2024, the French Community, the Brussels Capital Region and the French Community Commission concluded a cooperation agreement to respond to the specific educational challenges in Brussels. These include providing a sufficient number of quality ECEC places and promoting jobs in the sector, to address staff shortages.

3. School education

The performance of students in basic skills continues to decline, especially among top achievers. According to the PISA 2022 study, one out of four 15-year-old students does not reach a minimum proficiency level in mathematics (BE¹⁶: 25% vs EU: 29.55%), reading (BE¹⁷: 25.3% vs EU: 26.2%) and science (BE¹⁸:22.4% vs EU: 24.2%). In mathematics, the share of low-achieving students has increased since 2018 (+5.3 pps vs EU: 6.6 pps), while in reading and science, this share has been deteriorating more gradually since 2012. The average performance in Flanders, although still above the EU average, declined sharply in all three domains, while in the French community the drop has been more moderate in reading and science compared to 2018. The proportion of top performers across Belgium remains above the EU average (11.5% vs. 7.9%), but it has declined at a faster rate than in other countries (8 pps drop since 2012).

Socio-economic status and migrant background are strong predictors of performance. The socio-economic gap in underachievement has increased since 2018 in both the Flemish and French Communities. The underachievement rate of disadvantaged students increased by 9.2 pps since 2018 (EU: 9.9 pps), reaching 45.8%¹⁹ in mathematics (EU: 48%), while the rate for advantaged pupils remains the lowest in the EU (BE²⁰: 6.2%). Socio-economic status explains 21.8% of variance in mathematics performance among students in Belgium, and the percentage point gap between disadvantaged and advantaged young people who underperform in all three domains has increased by 6 pps since 2018 (see Figure 1). In addition, the proportion of resilient students – those who perform well despite their circumstances – is comparatively low (8.2% vs 9.4% in the EU). Migrant background is also associated with a higher risk of underachievement. Close to half of all foreign-born students (BE²¹: 45.1%) underachieve in mathematics, in contrast to one in five students (BE²²: 19.4%) without a migrant background, representing a gap of 25.7 pps. Native-born students with foreign-born parents fare better, but still lag behind their non-immigrant peers: 36.9% are underachievers. The score point difference between immigrant and non-immigrant students, after accounting for socio-economic status and language spoken at home, has decreased since 2012, but migrant background remains a predictor of educational disadvantage.

Figure 1: Inequity in learning outcomes - Underachievement in all three domains by students' socio-economic status - PISA 2018, 2022 (%)

Structural inequalities contribute to the deterioration of results. The drivers behind the trends are multifaceted: while school closures and disruptions linked to the pandemic impacted performance (cf. European Commission, 2022, 2023a), data also points to systemic issues that contribute to students falling behind in the longer term. In Belgium, the share of students who report repeating at least one year of school during their education (primary and secondary) is the highest among EU countries (BE²³: 26.5%). This, combined with early tracking, tends to exacerbate the influence of socio-economic status on student performance (OECD, 2023c). Education pathways are also highly correlated with learning outcomes, but in international comparison, parents’ school choice is less guided by performance than by social and familial background or preference (OECD, 2023c). Another factor that plays part in explaining long-term trends is the prevailing, relatively rigid view of mathematical ability in schools, which negatively impacts students’ anxiety about mathematics: 78% of students in the French Community agree that mathematical intelligence is innate, and this view is even stronger among students in VET (Baye et al., 2023).

The Communities are addressing basic skills development and inequalities through various initiatives. Under Belgium’s recovery and resilience plan, the French community adopted a decree on a comprehensive plan to combat absenteeism and early school leaving, taking an individualised approach and reforming the procedure of grade repetition and exclusion, in an effort to keep more students in schools and on track with their studies²⁴. A School Climate Observatory²⁵ was set up following a decree on improving school climate in 2023, to conduct scientific activities and to provide resources for schools against bullying, cyberbullying and to improve student well-being. In the first year of its operation (August 2023), 118 schools joined the Observatory’s programme and a further 121 joined in August 2024. In spring 2024, the Flemish community started rolling out the first standardised Flemish tests in the 4th grade of primary and 2nd grade of secondary education. These are expected to strengthen internal quality assurance within schools and the monitoring of learning outcomes (cf. European Commission, 2023a). As part of the Language Action Plan launched in 2019, the Flemish community designated 2023-2024 as the Schoolyear of Dutch; and has allocated additional resources to schools with a significant number of pupils who speak a different language at home – benefiting around 80,000 children and young people²⁶. In 2023, an expert committee presented its recommendations and priorities for strengthening the teaching profession in the long term, which include strengthening schools’ leadership, governance and policy‑making capacity and reinforcing professionalisation among teachers, including by continuous evaluation of their skills²⁷. In 2023, the German-speaking community adopted a new vision for education until 2040²⁸, which places emphasis on basic skills, multilingualism and future-oriented competences.

4. Vocational education and training

Continued efforts in basic skills development in VET remain important. More than half of students in medium-level education²⁹ attend programmes with a vocational orientation (56.5% in 2022), which is above the EU average (54.2%). Students from socio-economically disadvantaged background are almost three times more likely to enrol in vocational programmes than advantaged students, resulting in a socially more segregated system compared to other EU countries with similar levels of VET enrolments (OECD, 2023c). PISA results from Flanders show that these students also feel less prepared to engage in self-directed learning, which negatively impacts their mathematics performance (Ghent University, 2023). The employment rate for recent VET graduates is close to the EU average (80.9% as compared to 81.0% in 2023), despite participation in work-based learning being less extensive than the EU average (44.8% in 2023 compared to 64.5%).

The Communities are focusing their VET reforms on strengthening digital, STE(A)M and entrepreneurship competences, while considering region-specific needs. In Flanders, the labour market is brought into the classrooms in virtual form through the use of augmented reality techniques³⁰, allowing for intensified dual learning opportunities. In addition, work-based learning is being promoted with subsidies for both learners and companies involved in secondary education³¹, adult education and nursing training, with specific subsidies for long-term jobseekers who are training for a deficit occupation. However, little progress has been made so far towards increasing participation in STEM subjects in vocational education and adult learning (Flemish Department of Education and Training, 2024). The Walloon Region also creates dual learning opportunities by legally adapting training under an internship agreement as well as by creating grant‑associated bonuses. A specific programme was set up involving the Walloon ‘Institute for Work-based learning and Self-employed Training and Small and Medium-sized Companies’ (IFAPME) and ‘Wallonie Entreprendre’, with a focus on awareness and training in business creation and transfer. Finally, specific funding is available to support projects in high-growth occupations, and awareness of STEAM skills and digital technologies, with the aim of promoting STEAM professions, sectors and skills, especially among girls.

5. Higher education

Higher education reforms continue to support successful graduation. In 2023, just as in previous years, half (50%) of young people (25-34) held a tertiary education degree, consistently putting Belgium above the EU average (43.1%). While attainment levels are high, study completion rates lag behind other EU countries, as only 21% of students in the French community and 32% in the Flemish community complete their bachelor’s degree within the theoretical duration of their studies (see Comparative report, Figure 24). In the French community, the Landscape decree (Décret paysage) was amended in 2024 to help institutions guide students towards successfully completing their studies (see European Commission, 2023a). New students must complete the first 60 credits³² of their degree (out of 180) within 2 years and will have maximum of 5 years to graduate. This system will be re-assessed during the coming years. Critics warn of putting a large number of students at risk of being barred from continuing their studies³³, while rectors and higher education staff have reaffirmed their commitment to the reform³⁴. Based on the lessons learned from implementing the Higher Education Advancement Fund (Voorsprongfonds), the Flemish government published a vision for future-proof higher education (Flemish Government, 2024), as part of Belgium’s recovery and resilience plan. This emphasises collaboration between higher education institutions (HEIs), to obtain a better coordinated higher education offer, to enhance the opportunities for lifelong learning in HEIs and to sustain hybrid learning.

Belgium is implementing European recommendations on learning mobility, but numbers of outgoing students are below the EU average. According to the European higher education Mobility Scoreboard, the German-speaking and the Flemish Communities perform well across the six indicators of systemic measures that facilitate learning mobility, and the French Community has also improved its position (European Commission/Eurydice, 2023b; European Commission, 2024b). As of 2022, 10.1% of graduates had had a learning experience abroad³⁵: half of them to attain credits and half to attain a full degree. Belgium is a net recipient country: the number of graduates from other EU countries having studied at higher education institutions in Belgium (7 200) is double the number of graduates from Belgium embarking on a study in the EU (3 500). As a further step to support study mobility among their countries, as of May 2024, the Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg) and the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) guarantee automatic mutual recognition of qualifications from their higher education institutions.

Belgium invests in initiatives supporting sustainable higher education and green skills development. A report by the independent think tank Education4Climate³⁶ concluded that across Belgium, 63% of university study programmes do not include any courses that deal with climate and environmental issues, and that 12.5% of academic programmes and 5.7% of applied training programmes address these subjects in at least 10% of their courses (The Shifters, 2022). In recent years, the Communities have stepped up efforts to support the green transition in their higher education sectors. The Walloon government earmarked EUR 4 million for this purpose, which includes supporting research into education for sustainable development by establishing an inter-institutional research chair³⁷. In addition, the sustainable development platform (”Commission développement durable“) of ARES (federation of higher education institutions) encourages the exchange of experience and good practices among HEIs³⁸. In Flanders, the Sustainable Higher Education Commission³⁹ brings together experts, stakeholders and university leaders in a collaborative platform to support the sector’s transition. The sustainability education hub has also developed a self-evaluation tool to support staff in developing their students’ sustainability competences⁴⁰. In the STEM agenda until 2030, Flanders has committed to increase STEM competences among the general population, including young people in vulnerable situations. An evaluation of the STEM academies has observed a positive impact on young people’s understanding of the importance of STEM for society, their self-confidence and sense of competence. The academies increased girls’ intentions to pursue further studies and careers in STEM (Blondeel and Coussement, 2022; OECD, 2023a). This is promising in the light of the consistently low share of STEM (and, in particular, female) graduates in Belgium compared to the rest of the EU (see Figure 2.)

Figure 2: Share of STEM graduates over total number of graduates, by sex, 2022 (%)

6. Adult learning

Adult participation in lifelong learning shows a declining trend. Data for 2022 show a decline of 4.5 pps compared to 2016 (34.9 % vs 39.4%), contrary to the EU trend (the EU average rose, from 37.4% to 39.5%)⁴¹. This is also below the 2030 national target of 60.9% of adults participating in training every year. The participation rate in adult education and training is linked to the level of education achieved (53.6% for those with tertiary education vs 12.5% for people having less than primary and lower secondary education attainment). Belgian men participate less than women (31% vs 38.8%), but both are under the EU average of 38% for men and 41% for women. Younger adults are more likely to participate in adult learning (41.6% of 25 to 34 year-olds participate in learning, vs 25% of 55 to 64 year-olds). In the 2024 Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), Belgium scored above the EU average for the percentage of adult population with at least basic digital skills (59.4%, EU: 55.6%). This marks an increase of 4.6 percentage points from the previous year. However, important challenges remain in basic and advanced digital skills, and more work is needed to address the country’s persisting labour shortages in ICT positions (European Commission, 2024c).

Regional strategies support skills for the green transition. In 2021, a quarter of all jobs in the Brussels Capital Region was classified as green, and both in Flanders and Wallonia up to a fifth of all jobs fell under this classification (OECD, 2023d). Alongside the updated Belgian recovery and resilience plan, which strongly focuses on the green transition, the regions developed their own plans inspired by the related need to up and reskill the workforce. The Flemish green skills strategy⁴² provides the foundation of that region’s wish to be a front-runner in the European green transition. The Commission’s Technical Support Instrument supported the development of this strategy, together with an implementation roadmap and governance framework. To accomplish the goals set in the strategy, multiple green skill initiatives are in place involving SME’s, education centres supported through Edusprong⁴³, sectoral organisations and private initiatives. In Wallonia, the plan ‘Wallonie Compétences d’Avenir’ responds to labour market demand for a properly trained workforce, including skills related to the green transition, and incorporating the sustainability concept into the training offer through a multi-partner approach.