14 Dutch-Speaking Brussels Schools Adopt Four-Day Week..Urgent Change Sparks Debate

14 Dutch-Speaking Brussels Schools Shift to Four-Day Week Debate

Brussels schools adopt a four-day week to tackle persistent teacher shortages, offering full pay for fewer days and easing long commutes from Flanders.

Marie Dupont2 hours agoLast Update : 2 hours ago

14 Nederlandstalige basisscholen in Brussel voeren vierdaagse week in bij start schooljaar: "Uit noodzaak"

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Brussels is adapting its education system with the introduction of a four-day school week in some Dutch-speaking primary schools, aiming to tackle the ongoing teacher shortage. As of 2025-08-22 14:36:00, 14 out of 151 Dutch-language schools in the capital have adopted this new schedule, which reduces classes on Wednesdays but extends hours on other days.

6 Key Takeaways

Brussels schools adopt four-day week system
Teachers work four days, paid full-time
Students miss Wednesday, extended other days
Anderlecht labels change as emergency measure
Free Wednesday morning childcare provided
Brussels faces ongoing teacher shortage crisis

The move, supported by Brussels minister Sven Gatz and local officials like Bieke Comer from Anderlecht, is designed to optimize school hours while addressing specific school needs. But how will this affect students and teachers in Brussels? And can this change encourage more Dutch-speaking teachers from Flanders to work in the city?

By offering teachers a four-day workweek with full pay, the policy aims to reduce commuting burdens and attract more educators to Brussels. This innovative approach could reshape the local education landscape and provide much-needed relief to schools struggling with vacancies.

Fast Answer: Fourteen Dutch-speaking primary schools in Brussels have shifted to a four-day week to ease teacher shortages, improve work conditions, and support families with free Wednesday morning childcare.

What are the implications of this new schedule? While some parents and educators in Anderlecht see it as a necessary “emergency measure,” others remain cautious. Key points include:

Teachers complete their required hours over four days, receiving full pay without five-day commuting.
Students attend school Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, with Wednesday mornings free.
Free supervised childcare is provided on Wednesday mornings for working parents.
The approach helps prevent school closures due to staffing issues amid a severe teacher shortage in Brussels.

Brussels faces nearly double the teacher vacancies compared to other major Flemish cities, making this reform critical for sustaining quality Dutch-language education locally.

As Brussels schools continue to pilot this schedule, will other municipalities follow suit? Monitoring its impact on teacher recruitment and student performance will be essential. Stakeholders are encouraged to stay engaged and support initiatives that strengthen education across the capital region.