Ei-iE

A teaching profession suffering from burn out and from significant staff shortages. An undervalued non-profit sector. Demotivated, undervalued, and disrespected, teachers are advising their own children not to join the profession they have been passionately committed to for decades. These are the main issues for which teachers in Belgium have gone on strike.

Teaching unions go on strike for 48 hours on January 27th and 28th 2025 across all schools in Wallonia and Brussels.

Against government measures for vocational education

Unions have joined forces to denounce the cost-cutting measures put forward by the MR-Engagés government for vocational education.

According to unions, the cost cutting measures will direct students over the age of 18 into adult education where they would study with much older colleagues in a format that is not most effective for their age group. The measures will also lead to the loss of 500 jobs, something the Minister of Education for the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, Valérie Glatigny (MR), vehemently denies.

Ending the appointment of teachers as public servants

Unions also oppose government plans to replace the permanent appointment of teachers as public servants with indefinite-term contracts.

More broadly, unions are against the reforms announced last summer in the majority party agreement for teaching.

They believe “these measures will have a lasting impact on the quality and access to education for all, as well as worsening staff working conditions.”

Schools severely affected

On January 27th, around 30,000 teachers took part in the demonstration on the streets of the Belgian capital, Brussels.

Unions believe the strike had a considerable impact on schools’ ability to operate, given the size of the mobilisation.

Action across Wallonia and Brussels

The second day of the strike, January 28th, will be one of decentralised activities, with teachers planning to picket in front of schools.

In the following days, the unions plan to quickly take stock of the strike and decide on the next steps of the protest movement.

Solidarity from unions across Europe

Jelmer Evers, Director for the European Region for Education International, the European Trade Union Committee on Education (ETUCE), expressed his support for the demands made by Belgian educators: “ETUCE stands in full solidarity with teachers in Wallonia and Brussels as they protest against budget cuts in technical and vocational education, the potential loss of 500 jobs, and plans to replace permanent appointments with indefinite-term contracts. These measures risk degrading both the quality of education and the working conditions of teachers—issues that must be urgently addressed to ensure a sustainable future for education.”

Go Public! Fund Education

Education International (EI) fully supports its member organisations in Belgium. Their demands echo those of teachers around the world and fully align with EI’s global Go Public! Fund Education campaign.

The campaign is an urgent call to governments to invest in public education, a fundamental human right and public good, and to invest more in teachers, the most important factor in achieving quality education for all.