More than 8,300 primary school pupils in Flanders and Brussels had to repeat their school year in 2024-2025, according to data from the Agency for Educational Services.
The total number of children repeating their year reached 8,382, representing 2.1% of all pupils in Dutch-speaking primary education. This places the Flemish education system among the European countries with the highest retention rates.
An analysis revealed significant regional differences, not accounting for variations between school types. Anderlecht reported a retention rate exceeding 5%. In Flanders, Zelzate recorded 4.8%, followed by Hemiksem at 4.7%, Maaseik at 4.5%, and Molenbeek at 4.5%. In these municipalities, the number of pupils repeating their year is double the Flemish average.
Experts attribute the figures to factors such as socio-economic disadvantage and the home environment, including the pupil’s home language and the mother’s education level.
