Key documents: Constitution of Belgium, School Pact, School Act, Act on Special and Inclusive Education, and the amendments to the Belgian Constitution.
Characteristics: Early on, several core principles, such as the right to education for everyone and the aim of inclusion have been established in Belgium before the competence on education was delegated to the federal states of Flanders, Wallonia, and the German-speaking community. Policy has remained rather generic, however, as the education systems have only really developed once they became regulated by the federal states.
Overview
References
[1]
Nationaal Congres. De Belgische Grondwet. 1994. Available from: https://www.senate.be/doc/const_nl.html
[2] Verhoeven JC. Het onderwijssysteem in België - Vlaamse Gemeenschap. Brussels; 2002.
[3] Wet tot wijziging van sommige bepalingen van de onderwijswetgeving. 1959. Available from: https://data-onderwijs.vlaanderen.be/edulex/document.aspx?docid=12373
[4] Wet op het buitengewoon en geïntegreerd onderwijs. 1970. Available from: https://data-onderwijs.vlaanderen.be/edulex/document.aspx?docid=12930
[5] Wijzigingen aan de Grondwet. 1988. p. 2–3. Available from: http://reflex.raadvst-consetat.be/reflex/pdf/Mbbs/1988/07/19/19964.pdf
[6] Région de Bruxelles-Capitale. Special needs education — Région bruxelloise - Brussels Gewest. Available from: http://be.brussels/education-and-training/special-needs-education?set_language=en
Key documents: Decree on Primary Education, Decree on Equality, Codex on Secondary Education, Decree for Scholars with Special Education Needs, and the strategic plan for people with autism.
Characteristics: Special education service provision and right to education are repeatedly addressed in education policy. While a division between mainstream and special schools remain, actions have been put forward to develop a more inclusive school system, where segregation is less pronounced. Also, with the adoption of the autism-specific strategy, the needs of people with autism are recognised with an aim toward improvement. However, legislation has not incorporated a clear definition of the responsibilities for the diagnostic process of special education needs. It only implies (rather than specifies) that mainstream schools are responsible for this, since this is the place where children can opt into additional support as well.
Overview
References
[1] Flemish Parliament. Decreet basisonderwijs. 1997. Available from: http://data-onderwijs.vlaanderen.be/edulex/document.aspx?docid=12254
[2] Flemish Parliament. Decreet houdende een kader voor het Vlaamse gelijkekansen- en gelijkebehandelingsbeleid. 2008. Available from: https://codex.vlaanderen.be/Portals/Codex/documenten/1017082.html
[3] Flemish Parliament. Besluit van de Vlaamse Regering houdende de codificatie betreffende het secundair onderwijs. 2010. Available from: http://data-onderwijs.vlaanderen.be/edulex/document.aspx?docid=14289
[4] Flemish Parliament. Decreet betreffende maatregelen voor leerlingen met specifieke onderwijsbehoeften. 2014. Available from: https://codex.vlaanderen.be/Portals/Codex/documenten/1024474.html
[5] Verhoogde participatiekansen voor personen met autisme creëren – strategisch plan. 2017. Available from: https://www.vlaanderen.be/fr/nbwa-news-message-document/document/09013557801bf9bc
Key documents: Decree on Primary Education, Decree on Combatting Certain Forms of Discrimination, Decree on the Inclusion of People with Disability, and the Decree on Inclusive Education for Social Promotion.
Characteristics: While the education system in Wallonia started with a strict division between mainstream and special schools, recent legislation has aimed to connect these two in order to create an environment for inclusive education. The right to education is notably less mentioned than in Flanders, though still well established. Also, in contrast to Flanders, there is no strategy in place that specifically focuses on the improvement of the environment for people with autism.
Overview
References
[1] Secrétariat général. Décret organisant l’enseignement spécialisé. 2004. Available from: http://www.gallilex.cfwb.be/document/pdf/28737_030.pdf
[2] Parliament of the French Community. Decreet betreffende de bestrijding van sommige vormen van discriminatie. 2008. Available from: http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/cgi_loi/change_lg.pl?language=nl&la=N&cn=2008121248&table_name=wet
[3] Parliament of the French Community. Decreet betreffende de inclusie van personen met een handicap. 2014.
[4] Parliament of the French Community. Decreet betreffende het inclusief onderwijs voor sociale promotie. 2016.
Key documents: Decree on the Instalment of a Department of the German-Speaking Community for Persons with Disabilities, Decree on the Establishment of a Center for Education of Children with Special Needs, Decree on Combatting Certain Types of Discrimination, and the Decree on the Instalment of a Department of the German-Speaking Community for Self-Determined Life.
Characteristics: The provision of special education needs services is largely disconnected from the education system. Since the division of Belgium in three legislative areas, a separate institution has been put in charge of this provision in the German speaking community. This separation of special education needs service provision is reinforced repeatedly by newly adopted legislation, with the only exception being the adoption of the decree in 2009, which had as an aim to facilitate a better environment for inclusion in education for children with special education needs. This creates a situation unique to the German community in Belgium, where schools are not in charge of the provision of special education needs services, yet still have to facilitate a learning environment to incorporate them.
Overview
References
[1] Parliament of the German Community. Decreet houdende oprichting van een “Dienststelle der Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft für Personen mit einer Behinderung”. 1990. Available from: http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/cgi_loi/arch_a1.pl?N=&sql=(text+contains+(%27%27))&language=nl&rech=1&tri=dd+AS+RANK&value=&table_name=wet&cn=1990061933&caller=archive&fromtab=wet&la=N&ver_arch=001
[2] Decreet betreffende de opdrachten toevertrouwd aan de inrichtende machten en aan het schoolpersoneel en houdende algemene pedagogische en organisatorische bepalingen voor het gewoon onderwijs. 1998. Available from: http://www.etaamb.be/nl/decreet-van-31-augustus-1998_n1998033100.html
[3] Decreet over het centrum voor onderwijs aan leerlingen met specifieke behoeften ter bevordering van het onderwijs aan leerlingen met specifieke behoeften in de gewone scholen en de scholen voor onderwijs aan leerlingen met specifieke behoeften evenals ter. 2009. Available from: http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/eli/decreet/2009/05/11/2009202854/staatsblad
[4] Parliament for German Community. Decreet ter bestrijding van bepaalde vormen van discriminatie [Internet]. 2012. Available from: https://www.unia.be/nl/wetgeving-aanbevelingen/wetgeving/dg-decreet-ter-bestrijding-van-bepaalde-vormen-van-discriminatie
[5] Decreet tot oprichting van een dienst van de Duitstalige Gemeenschap voor zelfbeschikkend leven. 2016. Available from: http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/cgi_loi/change_lg.pl?language=nl&la=N&cn=2016121307&table_name=wet