Schools in Belgium are tightening leave arrangements for permanently appointed teachers, making it harder for them to teach elsewhere or take another job for several years without losing their post.
According to De Standaard, many schools that once allowed such leave for up to five years have reduced it to three years or even just one. The changes do not apply to statutory leave entitlements such as parental leave.
The shift affects discretionary schemes, including temporary assignments in another role. Teachers are increasingly being told to return to their original post or resign, rather than continue extending those arrangements year after year.
“There is a broad trend towards scaling back favours,” said Els Claes, who oversees about 80 schools run by the Sisters Annunciates in the Mechelen-Brussels diocese. “Teachers are now more quickly faced with a choice: either return or resign. Extending temporary alternative assignments year after year is becoming the exception.”
Ann Huybrechts, managing director of GO! Antwerp, said the teacher shortage had prompted a stricter approach. “With us, you can now try something else for two years, but after that a decision has to be made,” she said.
Walentina Cools, head of municipal and city education, said it was understandable that school boards were no longer granting some discretionary arrangements. She said schools were finding it very difficult to solve staffing shortages and wanted to offer greater certainty to teachers appointed to cover those hours.
The trend has been developing quietly for several years but is now accelerating. Alongside the teacher shortage, recent budget cuts in secondary education may also be contributing to the tougher stance.
