Financing for equity in primary and secondary education
GERMAN-SPEAKING COMMUNITY
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to schools
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
In Belgium, education is primarily the responsibility of the communities, except for three federal competences: determining the start and end of compulsory education, setting minimum diploma requirements, and regulating retirement for education employees. The central government transfer the annual lump-sum transfers to the Communities through the Loi de Financement, based largely on demographic factors (school-age population) and fixed base amounts indexed each year. In the German-speaking Community of Belgium, the government implements the legal framework set by its Parliament across all three school networks. The Minister for Education, Training and Employment oversees the allocation and management of all education and training stages, starting from pre-primary education.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
The German-speaking Community has three school networks: the Community Education System (GUW), officially organized and funded by the Community; the Officially Subsidised Education System (OSUW), organized by municipalities and financed by the Community; and the Free Subsidised Education System, managed by private school boards and also funded by the Community. Funds are allocated to both GUW and OSUW. However, no information was found about a funding mechanism that transfers resources from the central government to local governments with equity considerations.
2. Education resources to schools
The schools in the Community Education Network (GUW) are organized and financed directly by the German-speaking Community and fall under the responsibility of the Minister for Education. GUW includes three pre-primary and primary schools, four secondary schools, and one special needs school with both primary and secondary sections. In the Officially Subsidised Education System (OSUW), the nine municipalities act as school boards for pre-primary and primary schools, and most of these schools are run by the municipalities. No information was found about initiatives that specifically transfer resources to disadvantaged schools or schools serving targeted groups.
3. Education resources to students and families
Studienbeihilfen (Scholarships)
Students attending a secondary school in the German-speaking community are entitled to receive a scholarship from the German-speaking community if the family’s income does not exceed a fixed limit. A refund may be required if there is proof of irregular school attendance and abandonment of studies.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Social Supplement - Family Allowance
The German-speaking community benefits from family allowances, which are allocated to support families with children. The social supplement is a supplement paid to households whose gross taxable income does not exceed a certain amount.
5. School meal programmes
There is currently no school meal programme in Belgium’s German-speaking community.
