The number of children being homeschooled in Flanders has quadrupled in the past five years, according to figures provided by Minister Zuhal Demir in response to a parliamentary question.
Currently, 5,615 students in Flanders are being educated at home, with over half of them living in the province of Antwerp. While education is mandatory in Belgium, it does not have to take place in a school setting.
The rise in homeschooling began during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued to grow since then, with the sharpest increase seen in Antwerp. In this province alone, the number of homeschooled children rose from 1,035 to 3,214 over five years.
Despite this growth, homeschooling remains very uncommon, accounting for just 0.19% of primary school pupils and 0.44% of secondary school students.
In the French-speaking region of Wallonia-Brussels, homeschooling numbers have also increased, but at a much slower rate.
During the 2020–2021 school year, 3,187 students were homeschooled in Wallonia-Brussels. Five years later, this figure had risen modestly to 3,584, according to data released on Tuesday by the region’s General Education Administration.
