The Wallonia-Brussels Federation Education Minister Valérie Glatigny (MR) said on Monday she wants to restart talks with education stakeholders as French-speaking schools reopen amid continuing anger over recent reforms.
Speaking to La Première on RTBF, Glatigny said she was sending a “message of openness” and wanted to “revive dialogue” with a sector that has been deeply unsettled by the latest measures.
She said an invitation had already been sent before the holidays but had not led to a positive response. That invitation is now being renewed for 1 September, alongside a proposal to create a new advisory committee aimed at encouraging more discussion.
The new school year begins this week after a highly turbulent end to the last one, with discontent still running high. Trade unions have filed notice of action until 27 September to cover any grassroots initiatives that may emerge.
Glatigny said protests were “inevitable”, but argued that budget savings were just as unavoidable and remain the driving force behind the contested reforms.
In schools, many teachers are still uncertain about their teaching load, partly because of the addition of two classroom hours to the full-time timetable for upper secondary teachers.
Asked how many teachers in more precarious positions could lose their jobs, Glatigny said figures would be available later, as staff reassignments are still under way.
She said those reassignments will continue until the end of October and added that the first feedback received so far had been “rather reassuring”.
