The Flemish Community Commission (VGC) will allocate €178,000 to 41 secondary schools in Brussels this year to enhance and renew their reading collections.
This funding, announced by outgoing Brussels Minister Dirk De Smedt (Open VLD) on Monday, aims to promote reading enjoyment among students. Investments will be made in materials for various languages, including Dutch, French, English, German, and Spanish.
Schools will use the funds to provide a diverse range of reading options, comprising both physical and digital formats. These will include fiction, non-fiction, comic books, audiobooks, e-books, magazines, and subscriptions to digital reading platforms. Additionally, e-readers equipped with relevant software will be purchased.
Over 17,000 students in Brussels are expected to benefit from this initiative, which seeks to boost their reading pleasure and language skills.
“Reading is a key to understanding the world. It brings joy, expands opportunities, and helps young people grow linguistically,” De Smedt said.
