Staff at higher education institutions and arts schools in Belgium will join ongoing protests in the education sector from Wednesday, union representatives announced in a joint press release on Tuesday.
The unions said they were deeply concerned about the “urgent and disruptive situation currently facing the entire education system.”
Protestors will demonstrate in front of their institutions to denounce several reforms which, they believe, jeopardise the future of higher education.
Among their concerns are the planned increase in tuition fees, reforms to teacher training, and changes to physiotherapy education.
Union representatives warned that higher tuition fees could prevent many prospective students from enrolling, starting next academic year. They also fear that ongoing reforms will worsen teacher shortages and weaken certain training programmes.
“The situation in teacher education programmes is already dire — classrooms are emptying while the teacher shortage grows more critical,” the unions stated.
“Introducing a physiotherapy master’s degree next year risks further reducing enrolments and causing major organisational challenges,” they cautioned.
They added that these reforms could also have an impact on staff at the institutions. A drop in student numbers has already led to job losses for many educators while increasing the workloads of those who remain.
The educators also emphasised their determination to advocate for their students, the integrity of their training programmes, and the fundamental value of their mission.
