One in four parents struggles to pay school fees

According to a study by family organisation La Ligue des familles, elementary schools in Belgium cost parents on average €1,225 per year. For a child in secondary school, parents pay €1,550 per year on average. The study also reveals that one in four parents needs to make family budget cuts in order to pay the school fees, writes Moneytalk.

Although primary education in Belgium is constitutionally free, the study shows that this is not the case. La Ligue surveyed 521 families with a total of more than 1,000 children in Wallonia and Brussels on various aspects of school life. The organisation found that while a year in preschool costs on average €280, the cost shoots up to €1,225 a year in primary school.

For secondary education, which goes up to €1,550 annually, the costs weigh even heavier on the family budget. Students in a technical or professional direction can owe as much as €2,300 a year because of the expensive materials needed. "The additional costs make it difficult for families with financial burdens," says the Ligue.

One-quarter of the parents who participated in the study admit that they have to cut back in some areas to pay the school fees. One parent in 10 has even had to borrow money from a friend or family member in order to pay for their children's education.