August isn't over and the Belgian summer will have another go at bringing warmth instead of wet (30 °C forecast on Wednesday) but half the country goes back to school today and nationwide the mood is turning from chilling to business.
This is the third year that French-speaking schools have started the academic year a week earlier than Dutch-speaking counterparts, following a reform that distributes holidays more evenly. The change aims to prevent pupils from having such a long summer break that learning regresses. It also means that term dates no longer align, much to the frustration of anyone with children in both language systems, though this concerns comparatively few families.
For pupils, the return to school brings anticipation, excitement, and a heavy-hearted acceptance that the halcyon days of July and August are (almost) over. For everyone else, a new school year fixes our attention on the coming weeks and months. Brussels awakes from its summer lull, people walk with purpose, and rush hour is once again in evidence.
Whether you're in education or not, back to school is a calendar fixture that affects us all. With this in mind, this week we will run a series of articles that look into the particularities of Belgian education (surprise, surprise, it's got its quirks), from the crèche to the lecture theatre and everything in between. No matter your age, every day is a school day so tune in to find out how things work in Belgium.
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1. Back to school: French-speaking pupils start new academic year. What changes?
After a seven-week holiday, around 900,000 pupils and 120,000 teachers in French-speaking schools return to classrooms. Some important changes come into effect. Read more.
2. Belgian rail relaunches cheap trains between Brussels and Paris
The offer will run during the Paralympics. Second-class tickets start from €34 one way, and first-class tickets from €49. Read more.
3. ‘Everyone welcome’: A first look inside Brussels’ most luxurious hotel
The hotel opened in 1910 for the Brussels World's Fair and exemplified the splendour of the Belle Époque. But the shine faded to dust as it became a ghost hotel for 18 years. Read more.
4. Temperatures to rise to 30°C during first week of school
Students in the Belgian French-speaking education system will enjoy a sunny return to school on Monday morning. Read more.
5. Tap water unsafe to drink in two Belgian coastal towns
Residents are advised to boil the water for five minutes as a precaution. Read more.
6. Business confidence in Flanders improves for first time in a year
"The worst finally seems to be behind us." Read more.
7. Free school materials: Subsidy won’t be scrapped, education minister confirms
The programme allows pupils up to the third year of primary school to receive basic school supplies (pencils, markers, folders, etc.) free of charge. Read more.
