Brussels, (Brussels Morning)- Summer schools especially for children and young people from Ukraine will be open in July and August. Municipalities that want to organise such a summer school receive money from the Flemish Community. It will be a tailor-made curriculum, in combination with games, culture and sports.
Flemish Minister of Education Ben Weyts (N-VA) and his colleague from the Interior Bart Somers (Open VLD) reported this in a statement on Wednesday. “We want to prepare children and young people from Ukraine as best as possible for the new school year that starts in September,” said Minister Weyts.
The Immigration Office estimates that about 11,000 children and young people from Ukraine can stay in Belgium at the start of the summer holidays: more than 2,000 toddlers, about 6,500 children of primary school age and about 3,500 young people of secondary school age. In Brussels , about 800 Ukrainian children are currently enrolled in schools. In Dutch-language schools this is 89 .
A significant proportion of them arrived in Belgium late in the school year and therefore have limited contact with our education. The summer schools will focus extra on, for example, reading skills, Dutch language acquisition, academic knowledge and skills. Extra attention may also be given to the special situation of refugees from Ukraine.
Municipalities
The formula resembles that of the summer schools that have been organised on a larger scale in the past two years to prevent or eliminate learning delays due to the corona crisis.
For a minimum of ten (half) days, children and young people from Ukraine receive a tailor-made curriculum, in combination with games, culture and sports. The organisation is in the hands of a school or a local government. “That can also be the Flemish Community Commission in Brussels,” explains Weyts’ spokesman Michaël Devoldere to BRUZZ . Schools or municipalities that want to organise a summer school can submit an application to the Flemish community until 31 August. “This allows us to retroactively approve even late projects,” says Devolvere.
For children, participation in a summer school is voluntary and free of charge. Flanders provides 45 euros per child per day. Local authorities that take on a coordinating role can also count on 20 euros per child per summer school.
Brussels VGC Board member for Education Sven Gatz (Open VLD) was not yet available for an explanation about summer schools in the Brussels region.