The Flemish government is releasing 40 million euros to reduce the bill for the most expensive courses for students. Minister of Education Zuhal Demir (N-VA) stated this on Sunday in De Zevende Dag on VRT 1. This concerns directions in vocational, artistic and technical education.
Journalist at HLN
Source: Belga
Minister Demir indicated that today students are ignoring certain directions because they are too expensive. That is why the schools receive 40 million euros to reduce the bill. Demir gave the example of knife sets and protective clothing.
Next school year it will be the schools that decide where to intervene. But for the following school year, the minister plans consultations with the umbrella organizations and managements to see where the invoice should decrease.
Demir also returned to the reform of philosophical subjects, which would normally come into effect on September 1, but was withdrawn after advice from the Council of State. This should normally result in savings of around 80 million euros.
At the meeting of the Flemish government last Friday, it emerged that funds for Digisprong had not yet been spent this year – the minister quoted an amount of 25 million euros. For next year, it will be necessary to consider how the gap can be closed, although Demir indicated that she did not know where she would get that money within her budget.