The suggestion of extending the schools’ calendar year by the Ministry of Education has angered Belgian teachers. Teachers argued that they continued to work during the entire lockdown period and such a move undermine their efforts during that period.
The suggestion that schools may be extended has angered Belgian teachers who have been conducting classes during the lockdown period. The suggestion made by Flemish Education Minister Ben Weyts was also received with uproar from teachers union who indicated the move was ill-informed and would end up hurting students who had taken their time during the lockdown period to continue with their studies.
Belgian teachers opposition to school extension
Teachers suggested that during this period, they have not been on holiday. Learning, for many, has continued amid the pandemic lockdown although not at the same rate as during normal periods. Suggestions for extending classes, therefore, would be throwing all the work away for these students.
Belgium’s economy is expected to reopen on May 3rd after a five-week lockdown if greenlighted by the health department. This means schools will have spent 10 percent of their school year on lockdown. The government was looking at possibilities to extend the academic year, which ends on June 30, to cover for the time lost.
Nancy Libert of the union ACOD Education, one of the many union leaders opposing the move said, teachers and students had worked the entire lockdown period and it was unimaginable that their efforts would go to vain. She said the students were not on holiday and the lockdown period was still part of the school’s calendar year.
She continued by shedding light on how many teachers had continued working even on Easter holidays to provide learning materials to students. She also said the students were also active during the entire time and therefore school term extension was not appropriate.
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