Highly educated
Flanders can boost one of most excellent education systems in the world. Which results in the highest rate of universaty degrees in Europe. But still, don't a expect a lesson in cockniness from the average Flemish.
Putting things in perspective
Always helpful, the Flemish people are open to foreign people, lending a helpful hand. They're considered somewhat restrained but enjoyable poeple. And able to laugh with themselves and their lives.
Happy & Prosperous
According to a recent survey, over 93% of Flemish people are quite happy with their lifestyles. This is well over the European average of 80%. You can't help but notice that their satisfaction is well-founded. Flemish cities are still quite inhabitable and, despite urbanisation, unexpectedly large stretches of green countryside can still be found. The motorways and railroads crisscross rolling fields and foggy pastures, reducing the distance between the major cities. The crime rate is low. The trams, buses and the metro are all quite safe, even in city centres.
The social culture of cafes, festivals, clubs and associations also leaves its mark. Flemish people are well-educated, their life expectancy continues to rise and they have plenty of leisure time. The average Flemish person is also fairly well-off and if problems do arise, they can fall back on an intricate social protection network, which was developed straight after World War II.
For better or worse
The Flemish social safety net keeps many people out of poverty. However, there are always a few who happen to fall overboard. Every municipality has a department, the OCMW (Public Social Welfare Centre) to fight deprivation and organise assistance. Anyone whose income is insufficient or non-existent is entitled to a subsistence level benefit. In 1996,4.7% of the Flemish population were. entitled to this form of assistance. Compared to the rest of Europe, this is a relatively low rate.
Parents receive child allowance for every dependent child. This allowance increases as the family expands. Almost half of children under the age of three are cared for at home. External childcare services have expanded a great deal in recent years, but demand still exceeds supply. The Government of Flanders supports two types of childcare via the Kind en Gezin (Child and Family) organisation: day nurseries and host families from recognised organisations. Young parents can report to the local Kind en Gezin heakth centres for free advice and care.
The level of medical care is also very high. It is compulsory for every employee or self-employed person to be affiliated to a health insurance fund. This covers part of the costs of medical care and provides sickness or
disability benefit where necessary. There is a wide range of hospitals for acute or chronic health problems as well as renowned university teaching hospitals. The Institute for Tropical Medicine in Antwerpen is world-
famous. One of the specialists at that hospital, Peter Piot, is head of UNAIDS, the United Nations' aids-programme.
Educational standards
The educational standard is very high in Flanders. The Government of Flanders allocates substantial sums of public money to the education system: in 1996, approximately 43% of the Flemish budget went on education. That is a lot: according to an OECD report, only Scandinavian countries can do better. It is hardly surprising that foreigners also send their children to Flemish schools. Younger children learn to speak a new language fluently without too much difficulty. They will also be able to use the Dutch language they learn at school in the Netherlands. Moreover, it will provide them with opportunities to make Flemish friends.
Even parents will find this a way of becoming more involved in the social life of the neighbourhood and the municipality. Education in a Flemish school is also free of charge for foreigners - which is not the case in most
international schools. Flemish education scores highly in international comparative surveys. In 1996, the
International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement conducted a comparative study of education in the exact subjects in 41 countries: for mathematics, Flanders finished in fifth position (as the best
European country) and for sciences in eleventh place. Foreign language education also scores higWy: besides Dutch, many Flemish people understand and speak French, English and German. Therefore, it is not surprising that the quality of Dutch-speaking education in Brussel has attracted an increasing number of people who speak a different language over recent years.
Two school networks
In Flanders, school attendance is compulsory for all children and young people aged 6 to 18. The Government of Flanders determines what students must know at the end of primary and secondary education. In addition to that minimum curriculum, each school is free to choose its own special areas of expertise.
It is always possible to choose between the public and the private education network. Most private schools are Roman Catholic, but there are Protestant, Jewish and non-denominational private schools as well. Public schools are ideologically neutral. The public and the private school networks are both almost completely funded by the Government of Flanders, i.e. education is also free of charge in the private education network: they are therefore not to be confused with private schools according to the British model.
Education is divided up into three levels. Elementary education includes primary education (from 6 to 12 years of age) and nursery school. The latter may not be compulsory, but almost all Flemish children attend pre-school education between the ages of 3 and 6. Students aged 12 to 18 attend secondary school. For the first two
years they all receive more or less the same general education, so that they have plenty of time to find out what they are good at; later on, they choose a specific package of studies: general education, technical education,
vocational education or artistic education.
Those students who obtain a certificate of secondary education after 6 years of study can continue studying at university or at a specialist college. More and more young people are choosing to do so, both boys and
girls. Those who are not so well-off receive a grant; this is an allowance, not a loan, i.e. students do not have to refund it. There are Flemish universities in Leuven, Gent, Antwerpen, Brussel, Hasselt and Kortrijk.
All universities receive operating funds from the Government of Flanders. The Catholic University of Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious universities: it was founded
in 1425.
