Education and Childcare

Relocating to Europe with school-aged children? Most European countries have excellent schooling systems, with public and international schools. There are, however, quite a lot of differences between them, and making the right choice isn’t as straightforward as it may seem.

If you or your transferee are not familiar with the European schooling system, a local education expert will make a world of difference.

The first thing most parents do when they need to find a school for their children is ask around. Friends, family, coworkers – everyone can contribute with ideas and suggestions.

But wouldn’t you rather have an unbiased opinion about all the Belgian schools your child could go to? Friends and family may be very well-intentioned but every child is unique, with unique skills and needs. So what works for them may not work for your child.

Our education and childcare consulting service is designed for expats who are not familiar with the Belgian schooling system but want to make the best choice for their children. Here’s what we offer:

An overview of all the options: state, private, and international schools in Belgium.

Personalised advice and help with applying for the school of your transferee’s choice, according to the child’s culture, spoken languages, and aptitudes.

Personalised help in identifying the best school for your child’s needs – including special needs schooling.

100% impartial schooling advice: Packimpex only works in your best interest. We don’t represent any school, so all our advice will be unbiased.

Real local expertise: we won’t just give you generic advice about schooling in Belgium. Our local experts have in-depth knowledge about every area of the country. From Brussels, Ghent, Leuven, Antwerp, as well as cities where the expat population is growing, such as Charleroi, Liège or Louvain la Neuve, we can help you with very specific local schooling advice.

Extensive Q&A sessions with Belgian education experts: ask all the questions you want. Our work is not done until you are 100% confident that you have found the right school.

Let’s find the perfect school!

In Belgium, most children start school at the age of 2.5, with a ‘welcome class’ (classe d’accueil/onthaal) as a preliminary class before preschool. School is mandatory as from the age of 5, when the child has his or her last year of preschool (maternelle/kleuterschool).

From the age of 6 till the age of 12, children are primary school students (école primaire/basischool), and from 12 to 18, they are secondary school students (école secondaire/middelbare school). From the age of 16 a student can combine school and work.

Education is free in Belgium, although some schools will ask for voluntary contributions from parents to pay for extra things like field trips or celebrations. Most schools are public and have a very high standard of education – however application procedures and enrollment routes may be long and complicated, even for Belgian residents.

Language lessons and immersion are provided for expat children in Belgium and they are free.

The local system has two main streams: the Dutch speaking stream and the French speaking stream. These two streams have very little in common (not even the holiday schedule) aside from sometimes sharing the same building!

Primary school starts at four or five years old and lasts until 12 years old/group 8. Afterward, the children are transferred to a secondary school. Secondary schools or high schools in Belgium offer three options:

ASO: secondary school orientation that gives access to all levels of higher education, including university

TSO: secondary school orientation that gives direct access to all levels of higher education but mainly non-academic

BSO: secondary school orientation providing training on a specific job that the student will be allowed to practice right after graduation

The choice is typically made with the help of the school and according to your child’s vocation and personal profile.

If you want your child to study at an international school, you will have plenty of options for every learning cycle, from nursery to high school and university. However, since public schools have very high standards, most expats in Belgium choose to educate their children there.

Besides the relatively high costs of international and private schools, going to a public school gives your children a chance at full immersion and integration into the local culture.

Not sure which type of Belgian schooling is right for your child’s future? This is not a decision that should be taken lightly! Talk to a Belgian education expert today!