Koksijde (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Ter Duinen Hotel School in Koksijde opens a first-year program for 75 students aged 11+, adding new classrooms, boarding facilities, and a recreation area; Education Minister Ben Weyts attended the opening.
As VRT News reported, Today, Sep 1, 2025, was a historic day for the Ter Duinen Hotel School in Koksijde. For the first time in 79 years, students aged 11 and older can start classes at the school. Until now, younger students followed a program in partnership with a school in Nieuwpoort. Now, Koksijde has its own full first-year program.
“We’ve been collaborating with a school in Nieuwpoort for eight years for the first grade. They stayed here at the boarding school, received practical lessons, but had to go to Niewpoort for the general subjects,”
Ben Weyts said.
How is the Ter Duinen hotel school in Koksijde expanding for 75 new students?
75 students are starting in the first grade this year. They come from all over Flanders and even from the Netherlands. Many of them faced long journeys, especially on Mondays. By opening the first-year program in Koksijde, the school solves this problem.
A change in the law now allows even the youngest pupils at Ter Duinen Hotel School to attend all lessons on campus. Almost all students now live at the school’s boarding facilities. These dormitories already existed for the older students, but the arrival of younger students required additional space. So the school created a building, containing extra classrooms and study rooms for first-year students.
Ter Duinen Hotel School in Koksijde has been a cornerstone of hospitality education in Belgium since its founding in 1946. Over the years, the school has expanded its offerings and facilities to meet the growing demand for skilled professionals in the hospitality industry.
In March 2024, the school celebrated the ceremonial start of a significant project: the construction of a new boarding school building. This initiative, attended by Education Minister Ben Weyts and other dignitaries. The new building, designed to accommodate the youngest students, includes additional classrooms, study rooms, and a recreation area, ensuring that all students have access to age-appropriate facilities.
