French-speaking schools already considering changes to new school holiday calendar

After just two years operating under its new calendar, the community of French-speaking schools in Belgium is already discussing possible changes to the holiday schedule.

The aim would be to ensure that at least one week overlaps with Flanders between January and June, according to education minister Valérie Glatigny.

French-speaking Belgium has had a different school calendar since 2022, alternating seven weeks of school with two weeks of holidays each time.

The reform was not adopted by Flanders and the German-speaking community, meaning the holidays stopped coinciding.

In the 2026-2027 school year, there is not even a single shared holiday week, outside of Christmas and the summer holidays. This is also the case for 2028-2029, 2031-2032 and 2034-2035.

Largely for that reason, the reform sparked criticism from its inception, with opponents pointing out that it creates difficulties for families who have children in both education systems.

“I think we need to move towards amending the legislation by decree,” said Glatigny when questioned by school holiday schedule in a parliamentary committee meeting.

The minister will be consulting with her administration on this issue in the near future. For legal reasons, any legislative changes will have to be implemented by April 2025 at the latest.