The health crisis spawned by the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has increased the amount schools need to spend on each child by 50 euros, FELSI, a federation representing independent schools, is quoted as saying on Saturday by La Dernière Heure newspaper.
Since mid-2020, FELSI has been supporting schools by reimbursing a third of the additional amount they spend on children due to the pandemic.
The federation said it decided to do this after the General Secretariat of Catholic Education noted in June that the health crisis had cost schools in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation 39 million euros.
According to FELSI, in September-December, the health crisis increased spending per child by 54.2 euros in primary schools and by 52.4 euros in secondary schools.
These amounts cover expenditure linked to cleaning buildings and buying sanitisers while taking into consideration financial losses due to the cancellation of events such as school dinners.
These losses have been estimated at 16 euros per primary school pupil and seven euros per secondary school student.
The Brussels Times
