The Heilig-Hartcollege in Ganshoren, a Dutch-language school in Brussels, has been forced to close two of its nursery classes until the Christmas holidays, affecting approximately 30 children.
The closure, confirmed by Bruno De Lille, the director of the Sint-Goedele school group, is a result of a significant teacher shortage that has left the school unable to properly staff the classes.
According to De Lille, the absence of several teachers and supervisors, due to reasons including maternity leave, two operations, and burnout, has created a staffing crisis.
Although the school has arranged emergency accommodation for affected students, not all children have been able to access this service on a daily basis.
“We don’t have enough supervisors for that,” De Lille explained, highlighting the logistical challenges the school is facing as it attempts to manage the shortage.
“It’s a combination of circumstances,” said De Lille. “Four teachers were absent. Ideally, we should be prepared for such a situation, but we are facing a structural shortage of teachers in Brussels, so we haven’t found anyone to replace them.”
The situation at Heilig-Hartcollege is not isolated, with De Lille pointing out that teacher shortages are a growing issue across the capital.
In an effort to find temporary solutions, the school has reached out for volunteers. Two candidates have come forward to offer their services, but it remains uncertain whether they will be suitable replacements.
The school has also launched a public appeal on social media to attract more help. However, the long-term resolution to the crisis remains elusive.
The teacher shortage in Brussels has become a pressing concern for the educational community, with De Lille stressing that the issue is not unique to his school.
“The teaching profession needs to be made more attractive in Brussels,” he said, calling attention to the difficulties of attracting and retaining qualified staff in the region.
He pointed out that the current Flemish coalition agreement does not address the issue of teacher shortages, which only exacerbates the problem.
The teacher shortage has been a growing issue in Belgium, with both primary and secondary schools struggling to fill positions.
While some schools have been able to find temporary solutions, such as hiring substitutes or relying on volunteers, others, like Heilig-Hartcollege, are finding themselves in a more difficult position.
The closures of the nursery classes in Ganshoren serve as a stark reminder of the need for structural solutions to the ongoing staffing crisis.
Zuhal Demir, the newly appointed Flemish Minister for Education, faces the challenge of addressing the teacher shortage in the capital.
De Lille has called on the Minister to take action, highlighting the importance of making the teaching profession more attractive to potential candidates, particularly in Brussels, where the shortage is most acute.
As the school works to navigate this difficult situation, the families of the affected students are left to contend with the uncertainty of when classes will resume. With no immediate solutions in sight, the long-term stability of education in Brussels remains in question.
