Education in Belgium
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Belgium |
Although educational freedom was provided by the constitution of 1831, the first law for public elementary education was not passed until 1842. In 1914 compulsory attendance was enacted for children between the ages of 6 and 14; compulsory schooling now extends to age 18. Since 1959 the education system has included state secular schools and private Roman Catholic schools. A number of children attend private schools, most of them under the control of the Catholic Church. |
Educational controversies involving language and religion that arose in Belgium in the 19th century have continued to the present day. Almost the entire adult population is literate. The oldest and most prestigious Belgian university dates from the Middle Ages: The Catholic University of Leuven was founded under religious auspices in 1425. Since 1970 it has been divided into independent French- and Dutch-speaking universities, as has the Free University of Brussels. The latter university opened in 1834 under an enactment by the newly formed Belgian government. The universities of Ghent and Liège were founded in 1817 during the period of Dutch rule. Ghent has a Dutch-speaking faculty, Liège a French-speaking one. |
In 1965 state universities opened in the cities of Mons and Antwerp; French is the language of instruction at Mons, and Dutch is used at Antwerp. Royal academies of fine arts and royal conservatories of music are maintained in Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Liège, and Mons. A state agricultural institute is maintained in Gembloux and a technical institute in Mons. Encarta |
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Ghent in Belgium. Encarta |
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