The Flemish Government has unveiled its new digital strategy for schools, while shelving plans to give every child in primary education with a laptop.
Instead, the region will be encouraging schools to develop collective ICT infrastructure, according to Flemish Education Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA). As part of the strategy, the regional government has also announced it will fully reimburse schools for asbestos removal costs.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, students had to switch to home learning, which highlighted a lack of ICT equipment in schools. Former Education Minister Ben Weyts (N-VA) had allocated a one-time budget of €400 million to provide a free laptop for each child from the fifth year of primary school, but this budget is now depleted.
Demir has adopted a different approach, proposing an investment of €325 million over five years, aiming to "return to basics." This means students will be expected to take notes with "pen and paper" again and the idea of providing a "free" laptop to every pupil will be discontinued.
Pupils enter a classroom during a visit to a primary school in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw on the first day of the new school year, Monday 2 September 2024. Credit: Belga / Jonas Roosens
In primary education, the focus will be on "shared ICT infrastructure," such as computer courses, lending services, and laptop stations where pupils can borrow a device when needed.
Secondary education will follow a similar model in the first three years, with schools in later years having the option to allow individual purchases, particularly for science subjects.
Teachers are expected to have access to laptops. "It's a matter of common sense," explained the minister, revealing that a significant portion of the €325 million budget – €120 million – will be allocated for purchasing laptops for teachers.
Asbestos removal
The Flemish Government will also fully reimburse schools for asbestos removal costs.
Many schools in Flanders still contain asbestos, a carcinogenic substance banned in Belgium in the late 1990s. A sample survey conducted by the waste management agency OVAM in 2018 revealed that the likelihood of asbestos presence in school buildings was over 90%.
Until now, schools could claim back between 60-70% of removal costs. However, Demir has now proposed to cover the full cost. Schools will no longer need to pay any share for the removal of asbestos materials identified during asbestos inventories, according to the Flemish Government's resolutions.
The Flemish Government has preliminarily approved a draft decree that ensures full reimbursement for asbestos removal and disposal works. This draft will first be reviewed by the Flemish Education Council (Vlor) and subsequently by the Council of State.
Earlier, Demir indicated that this initiative would cost €5.4 million annually.
