End to repeating years for pupils with B certificate
Flanders’ education minister wants to enforce a change of study stream for children who receive a B certificate at the end of the school year, rather than allowing them to repeat the year
“Rarely leads to better results”
Pupils in secondary education get one of three certificates at the end of the school year. Those with an A certificate can go directly to the next year, those with a C certificate must repeat a year, and those with a B certificate should choose a different study stream.
Students who get a B certificate, and their parents, however, often don’t follow the advice of the class council to change studies and opt to repeat a year instead. A quarter of pupils currently repeating the year – about 5,000 students – are doing so after getting a B certificate the previous year.
“That is not the purpose of the certificate,” said Crevits. “Repeating a year rarely leads to better school results in the long term and encourages truancy.” She added that it was crucial that students who get a B certificate change their study programme.
In exceptional cases, she said, students would be allowed to repeat the year after receiving a B certificate, “if the class council is absolutely convinced it’s necessary and if the student commits strongly to it.”
The education networks have reacted positively to the news.
Photo by Ingimage
