The Province of Limburg will abolish its Education Support Centre by the end of the upcoming school year.
The decision stems partly from a reassessment of provincial responsibilities, announced at the start of the current legislative period, according to Laura Olaerts (N-VA), provincial councillor for Education. Financial considerations also played a role, she said.
Similar initiatives are already being offered by various Limburg schools, local authorities, colleges, and universities. Olaerts noted that this overlap had reduced the impact and added value of the support centre at the provincial level.
The centre has also struggled to address high school dropout rates among Limburg’s youth. Despite years of effort in providing supportive educational measures, the dropout rate in the province remains at around 13.4%, higher than the Flemish average of 13.2%. In some former mining municipalities, the rate is as high as 20%, meaning one in five young people leaves school without a diploma.
Olaerts emphasised the need for a comprehensive approach at the Flemish level. While the centre will cease operations at the end of the school year, ongoing projects will be evaluated for possible completion. Some European projects may continue temporarily after the centre shuts down.
The 13 employees of the centre will be offered new positions within the province. However, the contracts of four seconded workers will not be renewed.
Trade union ACOD LRB has raised concerns about the future of the staff, voicing doubt about whether suitable roles for all employees, particularly those with highly specialised profiles, can be found within the province’s shrinking administrative structure.
The union criticised the lack of consultation with staff before the decision was made. It expressed hope that the province’s administrative and HR departments would do their utmost to find fitting solutions for affected employees despite the difficulties of this transition.
