Brussels Catholic schools to launch new system of education

Instead of pupils attending six years of primary education and six years of secondary education, the new Anderlecht school will see them spending four years in primary school, four years in what they are calling ‘teenager school’ and four years in secondary school.

According to Brussels education minister Guy Vanhengel, the new system will serve to narrow the gap between primary and secondary school, a transition that often causes problems for youngsters. In the teenager school, youngsters will start with one teacher for most courses, as they are used to from primary school. Gradually, other teachers will be introduced for specific courses.

Teenager school pupils will also not be required to choose a study stream – such as general education (ASO) or technical education (TSO). “It’s not easy for 12-year-olds to make a decision that influences the rest of their learning process,” Vanhengel told Bruzz. “In the teenager school, they will discover all the options, so they can make a better choice at a later age.”

The school is expected to open in 2018. It will be partly installed in a former church (pictured). A year later, Brussels’ second teenager school is scheduled to open, in a former garage in Schaarbeek.

Photo courtesy CathoBel