Home education for children of compulsory schooling age

Home education must aim to:

• develop the children’s personality, talents, as well as their mental and physical skills
• teach respect for human rights and fundamental freedom
• teach respect for the cultural values of the child and of others
• prepare the child for an active life as an adult

Children born in 2002 or later have to pass the periodic exams of the Examencommissie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap (Examination Board of the Flemish Community).

• At the latest during the schoolyear in which your child turns 11 before 1 January, you must register your child at the Examencommissie Basisonderwijs (Examination Board Basic Education).
• At the latest during the schoolyear in which your child turns 13 before 1 January, your child must obtain a certificate of basic education.
• At the latest during the schoolyear in which your child turns 15 before 1 January, you must register your child at the Examencommissie secundair onderwijs (Examination Board Secondary Education).
• At the latest during the schoolyear in which your child turns 16 before 1 January, your child must obtain at least a certificate for the first cycle of secondary education.

If you register your child too late or if your child does not pass after two tentatives, you must enrol him/her into a school.

The inspectorate of education can control your home education to check whether the minimal requirements have been met. If your home education is considered unsatisfactory during two visits in a row, you must enrol your child into a school.

If you want to organise home education, you must submit a declaration of home education(opens in new window) at the Agentschap voor Onderwijsdiensten (Agency for Educational Services, AGODI) the third school day of the schoolyear at the latest. You must submit this declaration each schoolyear as long as you want to organise home education.

Therefore, children cannot switch from school education to home education in the middle of the year.

There are several ways to organise home education:

• Individually: you can teach yourself or assign a private teacher
• Collectively: your child goes to a private school, or you can organise education together with other parents.

In order to obtain a degree or a certificate, your child still has to pass exams at the Examencommissie basisonderwijs (Examination Board Basic Education) or the Examencommissie secundair onderwijs (Examination Board Secondary Education).

You bear all costs of home education yourself and you are not entitled to any education allowance.