Unions representing staff at Flemish universities, accompanied by the heads of academic institutions, demonstrated in Brussels on Wednesday against the underfunding of higher education.
According to the Brussels-Capital/Ixelles police zone, some 1,600 people took part in the protest.
Higher education is structurally underfunded, the protesters said. In 2023, the sector reportedly lost €350 million to unfulfilled commitments by the Flemish government. Union representative Nancy Libert said the universities receive €7,500 per student, whereas, under an exisiting degree, they should get €9,500.
In the traditional September Declaration, Flemish Minister-President Jan Jambon announced an extra €59 million for higher education, Nancy Libert recalled. “But when you consider that we’re facing a deficit of €670 million, we expect an extra effort.”
According to the unions, the Flemish higher education sector is underfunded because the number of students has increased beyond the 2% ceiling set for annual increases in funding, resulting in shortfalls.
However Flemish Education Minister Ben Weyts (N-VA) was unmoved.
“I do not feel challenged by these demonstrators,” he reacted. “Anyone who can read a budget and count can see that there has been a net increase of €280 million for our higher education during this legislature.”
Where the balance sheets of previous legislatures is concerned, there is some truth to [the claims], but not on the scale of over €600 million,” he added.
