Action plan to ensure that all toddlers go to pre-school

Children from the age of two can be enrolled in pre-school. About 1.3% of all toddlers living in Flanders – some 850 children – are not registered at a pre-school, while some 2,300 five-year-olds were too-often absent from class.

Although the figures are not alarming, “we cannot leave this group behind,” Crevits told Radio 1. “A lack of participation in pre-school has been linked to poorer grades later on.”

The cities with the most children not enrolled in pre-school are Ghent, Antwerp and Ostend. “The main aim is to exchange best practices,” said Crevits. “There are already a number of municipal projects that work well and that concentrate on personal contact with parents.”

That contact is the key to success, she said. “Parents who don’t send their child to school are often not familiar with Flemish pre-school education or don’t have confidence in the schools,” she said. “You can solve that by working on personal contact, through home visits or by sending them a card.”