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11. Living in Brussels

Brussels at a Glance

Childcare and Education in Brussels

A facade in Brussels testifying to the city's status as comics capital.

Childcare

As so many other aspects of everyday life, childcare in Brussels is organized by the two language communities. The Flemish organization for children and families is called Kind en Gezin. Kids in the French community are taken care of by the Office de la Naissance et de l’Enfance (ONE).

For infants, toddlers and pre-school kids, you have the choice between daycare families (registered or private ones) and day nurseries. The latter work slightly differently, according to the respective language community they are affiliated with. Various degrees of state subsidies are available for childcare facilities, depending on their official status.

Schoolchildren benefit from extracurricular activities that take place after the official school day finishes, e.g. in the form of homework schools. They offer study support and private lessons, as well as cultural and leisure activities in the afternoon.

Education

In Brussels (and all of Belgium), school is compulsory for all children between the ages of 6 and 18. Education is also free for children at state schools and other official institutions. Belgian state schools are actually community schools, but they fulfill the same functions and obligations as state schools in other countries. Official subsidized education is provided by municipal and provincial authorities.

Other forms of schools include private institutions often affiliated with a religious faith, especially Catholicism (free subsidized education) or private schools which are not recognized by the government, e.g. international schools. They receive no financial aid from the state, yet they enjoy greater academic freedom in return. However, some of them might offer diplomas that are not officially recognized.

International Schools

Not surprisingly, Brussels has a plethora of international schools. Some of them cater exclusively to children of EU institution staff, others are open to everyone. The advantages of sending your children to an international school are obvious, especially if you only plan on living in Brussels for a couple of years. Most of these schools are at least bilingual (English and French), and they frequently offer internationally recognized diploma programs, such as the International Baccalaureate.

The European Council of International Schools offers a search function which allows you to look for a registered international school in Brussels. The most famous are the International School of Brussels, the British School of Brussels, and St John’s International School. There are more international schools in Brussels, catering specifically to the French, German, Japanese and US American expatriate communities.