This summer, Flanders is set to accommodate a record number of students in its summer schools, with a notable increase of 40% compared to previous years. Over 16,000 children and young

people will benefit from the 206 summer schools established by the Flemish government, aiming to address and prevent learning deficits.

The concept of summer schools was introduced in response to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on education. In 2020, there were 138 summer schools, and the number rose to 190 in 2021. These schools catered to around 11,000 students in both 2021 and 2022.

The summer school programs are thoughtfully designed to offer tailor-made learning experiences, blending educational activities with games, culture, and sports for a duration of at least 10 days in either July or August. This approach has now been officially recognized and enshrined in a decree.

Flemish Minister of Education, Ben Weyts (N-VA), and Minister of the Interior, Bart Somers (Open VLD), both express their conviction in the significance of summer schools for improving the quality of education. Research supports their views, indicating that participating in summer schools positively impacts the learning outcomes of students. Interestingly, even non-participating classmates tend to perform better as the overall class level is raised at the beginning of the regular school year.

Beyond the challenges posed by the pandemic, Flanders also faces an ongoing issue of teacher shortages. Recent research by KU Leuven reveals that learning performance in certain key subjects, such as Dutch, French, and math, has declined since 2019. However, for other subjects, the learning loss is either minimal or negligible.

In light of the persisting learning deficits and the teacher shortage, the summer school initiative is seen as a vital measure in the continuous pursuit of improved educational outcomes and ensuring a brighter future for the students of Flanders. Photo by Mhd2883, Wikimedia commons.