Hasselt (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – De Straal primary school in Kuringen opened the new year with 2 new outdoor classrooms. Director Wendy Gregoire says 6 outdoor spaces now support 70% of lessons outside.
As VRT News reported, the new school year began on September 1, 2025, at De Straal Primary School in Kuringen, a district of Hasselt, Belgium, with a festive gathering. Pupils and parents shared breakfast on the school grounds, where balloons were displayed to mark the opening of the academic year. The event also introduced 2 new outdoor classrooms.
“We looked for a way to teach efficiently in outdoor spaces,”
Says Gregore.
“So we built a tree classroom, a greenhouse classroom, and a temple classroom. Each of these outdoor spaces has been made windproof and waterproof.”
What makes De Straal in Hasselt teach 70% of lessons outside?
The outdoor classrooms were built in cooperation with parents. Co-founder Pieter Daenen, who is also a landscape architect, said the young school cannot yet apply for Flemish subsidies because it has existed for less than 5 years. He noted that parents played a major role in completing the 6 outdoor classrooms now in use.
Director Wendy Gregoire explained that the school model was inspired by the Netherlands and Scandinavia, where outdoor learning is common. The school continues to take part in standardised tests. Students report that outdoor lessons help them concentrate and feel more at ease.
Director Wendy Gregoire explained that De Straal remains less well-known because it is located in a quiet green area, but it wants to send a clear message.
“Good education can also take place outdoors, and everything you do inside can be done outside as well,”
She said.
“I’m glad the school year has started again,”
Says young Capucine.
“It’s special to have lessons outside; I really enjoy it. We hear the birds singing when we sit outside, which I think is wonderful.”
Classmate Owen nods in agreement:
“It’s really great to have lessons outside. We can be surrounded by nature while we learn. Sometimes it’s a bit chilly, but then we put on a coat.”
About 70% of all lessons take place outside, according to the school. Weather conditions are not seen as an obstacle. If it rains, classes may either take place under a canopy or in large tents. Students also come to school with rain gear on, and in winter, they come in ski suits to keep warm. Gregoire verified that this system works during all seasons and permits the school to remain entirely committed to outdoor learning.
De Straal Child Centre in Kuringen, Hasselt, was founded in 2019 as a recognised Flemish primary school with a focus on outdoor and nature-based education. Because new schools are not eligible for government subsidies during their first 5 years, many of their facilities were created with the help of parents and community members.
