18 Nov '14

Hundreds of professors haven’t yet passed English test

Summary

Nearly 400 lecturers at Flemish universities who lecture in English have not passed the language proficiency test required by the government of Flanders

“We need to help them catch up”

Nearly 400 lecturers at Flemish universities teaching in English still haven’t passed the test that proves they master the language. That is nearly 18% of the 2,243 lecturers who must meet the requirement by the February deadline, as stipulated by a Flemish government decree.
 

Of the 397 lecturers without a proper attestation, 213 are from KU Leuven. “That might seem like a lot, but there are 125 new lecturers who didn’t have the chance to take the test yet,” vice-rector Didier Pollefeyt told De Standaard. The university counts 25 who didn’t pass the English test. “Now we need to help them catch up.”

The test is seen by many academics as an insult, especially to those who have been teaching in English for years and have good international reputations. A few professors have even refused to take the test, preferring to give up their English-language course.

A related issue is foreign lecturers appointed to Flemish universities being required to master a certain level of Dutch, even if they are not teaching in the language, in order to follow meetings and deal with administration. Of the 67 foreign lecturers affected, 60 have still not passed a Dutch-language test.

Flemish universities would prefer to scrap the requirement, especially as no sanctions are taken against foreigner lecturers who don’t pass this test. “We strive to achieve an international profile in Flanders, but we are threatened to become marginalised through this sort of regulation,” explained KU Leuven rector Rik Torfs. “This scares away foreign talent.”

The Flemish rectors have proposed a plan to replace the measure by an integration programme that gradually helps the foreign lecturers achieve a satisfactory language level.

Nearly 400 lecturers at Flemish universities who lecture in English have not passed the language proficiency test required by the government of Flanders.

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Miranda MartinIt doesn't surprise me to hear this. Belgians are generally much better than British people at learning other languages but many, especially academics, have a quite mistaken view about the standard of their proficiency. If Belgian universities want to teach in English one really should expect to see many more English native speakers teaching. As it is there is only a handful in the whole country. This at a time when in many British universities you can hardly find a department that does not have a Belgian, Dutch or German national teaching in it. For the benefit of students there is a need to breakdown the barriers that are preventing native speakers teaching in Belgian universities.

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Educational system

The Flemish educational system is divided into two levels: primary (age six to 12) and secondary school (12 to 18). Education is compulsory for children between the ages of six and 18.
Types - There are three educational networks in Flanders: the Flemish Community’s GO! network, and publicly funded education – either publicly or privately run.
Not enough space - In recent years, Flemish schools have been struggling with persistent teacher shortages and a growing lack of school spaces.
No tuition fees - Nursery, primary and secondary school are free in Flanders.
1

million school-going children in 2013

30

million euros Flemish education budget for new school infrastructures in 2013

11

percent of boys leaving secondary school without a diploma

  • Education in Flanders
  • Secondary education reform
  • European Encyclopaedia on National Education Systems

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