The number of Walloon students opting for learning Dutch at school went down by 10% in four years, informed La Dernière Heure Wednesday. According to recent figures of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, only 14,834 students took Dutch at school last year, versus 22,537 who chose English. 16,407 decided on Dutch in 2012: approximately 10% less in four years. In contrast, French is obligatory for all students of the Flemish Region.
This loss of interest for Dutch is attributable, according to Alain Braun, professor at UMons and specialist in immersion teaching, to the fact that English seems more strategic, and that Dutch is not present in the French media, but also to a feeling of rejection for Flemish neighbours.
(Source: Belga)
