Financing for equity in primary and secondary education
FLEMISH-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
Education responsibilities in Belgium are managed by the communities, except for three areas handled federally: setting the start and end of compulsory education, establishing 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 Flemish Community of Belgium, the Ministry of Education and Training oversees and allocates resources for all levels of education, starting from pre-primary up to adult education.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
Education in the Flemish Community is organised into three umbrella organisations of legally autonomous schools : GO! Education (Flemish Community education), public education, government-aided public education (managed by municipal or provincial authorities), and government-aided private education (run by private legal entities) Some funding is allocated to these net, i.a. for continuous professional training of their teachers, but there is no specific equity funding system from the central (Community) government to local governments. Schools are directly funded by the Ministry of Education and Training of the Flemish Community.
2. Education resources to schools
Pre-Set Budget for Operating Resources Based on Pupil Characteristics
Since 2008, this legislation has been harmonised and applies to all schools, regardless of their legal status: public or private. The definitions aim to identify disadvantaged situations using specific indicators, with data collected through enrolments and monitoring of individual learners' school careers across various stages and levels.
This legislation takes two forms: equity funding (top-up open-ended financing in calculating the operating grant and teaching hours) based on the number of students from socio-economically disadvantaged groups and means-tested grants for students from lower-income families.
The operating grant has also adjusted for differences in the social and economic situations of students (SES characteristics). The weighting of the operating grant provides additional support to schools serving disadvantaged students and their communities. In elementary education, this support accounts for about 14% of the total operating grant, rising to 15.5% since 2021. In secondary education, the corresponding figures are 10%, increasing to 11% since 2020.
The pre-set budget to address social differences among students is distributed among schools by adjusting operating grants based on four indicators: the mother's educational attainment (reflecting the student's cultural capital); eligibility for a means-tested study grant (indicating the family's financial capacity); the language spoken at home (serving as a proxy for migration status if different from the instruction language); and the student's place of residence (reflecting the student's social capital and serving as a proxy for disadvantage in certain neighbourhoods).
In elementary education, the overall preset budget to compensate for social differences is divided equally among the four indicators (i.e., 25% of the budget per indicator). In secondary education, however, the neighbourhood indicator (students' place of residence) is allocated only 10% of the overall budget, while the other indicators receive 30% each. The monetary value per student meeting a given indicator is calculated by dividing the overall budget for the indicator by the number of students meeting it, resulting in four different monetary values.
Student characteristics also influence the allocation of staff resources in elementary education. When scaling teaching hours, three socio-economic status (SES) indicators considered for the operating grant are also used: cultural background (mother's education), financial capacity (eligibility for a study grant), and linguistic and cultural capital (language spoken at home). However, the location (place of residence) is not included. Additionally, a weighting of 1.5 is applied to students who, for various reasons, do not live with their families and/or lack the support typically provided by family integration. These children include those living in a Centre for Child and Family Support, children in foster homes, those judicially separated from their parents, children whose parents have no fixed residence, and homeless children. The SES weights can significantly impact human resources in an elementary school.
In secondary education, there is no adjustment in the formula allocation of teaching hours for students' socio-economic characteristics. Instead, secondary schools can receive additional teacher hours for socio-economic disadvantage through an older policy for equal educational opportunities (gelijkeonderwijskansenbeleid, GOK), on top of the formula allocation of teaching hours. Five indicators are used to determine eligibility for supplementary teaching hours in secondary education: i) the parent is an itinerant worker or belongs to an itinerant group, ii) the mother has not completed secondary school, iii) the child does not live with their parents, iv) the family receives a school allowance, and v) the child speaks a language other than the instruction language (Dutch) at home. A school is eligible for additional GOK hours if a set percentage of its students meet at least one relevant indicator. The threshold is set at 10% of students meeting at least one indicator in the first stage of secondary education (ages 12-14), and at 25% in the second (ages 14-16) or third stages (ages 16-18/19).
Special schools
Special schools for pupils with special educational needs receive open-ended funding in line with the number of pupils enrolled. There is differentiated funding depending on the type of special education (there are 8 types of special education in Flanders; in pre-primary education there are 7 types). In secondary education there is also different funding depending on the ‘education form’ (there are 4 different education forms in special secondary education). (For more information: Ondersteuning en begeleiding in het buitengewoon onderwijs | Vlaanderen.be)
For children with special educational needs in mainstream schools extra funding is provided. Learning Support Centres provide support to teachers and/or students with specific educational needs. Based on the overall number of pupils in schools and the number of pupils with special educational needs in schools, learning support centres receive funding in order to provide support in mainstream schools.
3. Education resources to students and families
All children who qualify for the Groeipakket (Growth Package) child benefit automatically receive a schoolbonus (school premium) every August to help with back-to-school expenses. The scheme is funded and administered by the Flemish Government, with payments issued directly to families through official child benefit agencies. The schoolbonus applies regardless of income and covers every child, including those not yet attending school. The annual amount increases with age and, as of reforms introduced on January 1, 2019, ranges from about €22 for the youngest children to over €66 for young adults aged up to 25. This allowance supports families in purchasing school supplies and related costs, reinforcing equal educational opportunities and the accessibility of school for all children domiciled in Flanders.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Schooltoeslag (School Allowance)
Family allowances (Groeipakket) are provided to all families with children, but the amount varies based on each family’s specific circumstances. The School Allowance (Schooltoeslag) is an annual support for low-income families with school-age children, with the amount depending on the type of education, family situation, and income.
5. School meal programmes
Starting from the 2025-2026 school year, the Flemish Ministry of Wellbeing and the Association of Flemish Municipalities co-finance a school meal programme for pre-primary and primary schools based on the principle of ‘progressive universalism.’ In June 2025, a call for projects was launched to invite local authorities to participate. Schools can choose to join the programme and may charge parents a small contribution.
This profile has been reviewed by Ides Nicaise (KU Leuven University) and Persoons Marie-Anne, Advisor International Policy from the Department of Education and Training.
