The Flemish Community publishes the Education Decree XXXVI

The Flemish Parliament has adopted and the Flemish Government has sanctioned the Decree of 5 June 2026 on Education XXXVI, published in the Belgian Official Gazette of 26 August 2026 (p. 46669, reference C-2026/005886). This extensive text, consisting of nineteen chapters, concerns the organization and personnel of various levels of education, from basic education to higher education.

The decree regulates a community matter and is part of the series of “education” decrees that the Flemish Community regularly adopts to adapt its school legislation. In particular, it amends the Basic Education Decree of 25 February 1997, the Secondary Education Code of 17 December 2010, the Codification of certain provisions relating to education of 28 October 2016, and the two decrees of 27 March 1991 relating to the status of staff members of Community education and subsidized education.

Transposition of European Directives

Articles 13, 22, 25, 75, and 175 of the decree partially transpose two European directives:

• Directive (EU) 2019/1152 of 20 June 2019 on transparent and predictable working conditions in the European Union;
• Directive (EU) 2019/1158 of 20 June 2019 on work-life balance for parents and carers, which repeals Directive 2010/18/EU.

Mentoring for Beginners and Funding

Starting from the 2026-2027 school year, the decree establishes induction units allocated annually to every education center and school for beginning staff members. An annual amount of 48.7 million euros is provided for basic and secondary education combined, divided between:

• ordinary basic education;
• specialized basic education;
• ordinary full-time secondary education;
• specialized secondary education.

Minimum Objectives and Evaluation

The decree replaces Annex 6 of the Basic Education Decree, which sets the minimum objectives for the third year of nursery school, the fourth year of primary school, and the sixth year of primary school. It also provides for an opinion survey (“young children survey”) every three years in the final year of ordinary nursery school, as well as exemptions from minimum objectives for deaf and hard-of-hearing children in the Dutch language-Flemish sign language division.

Entry into Force

The decree enters into force on September 1, 2026, with exceptions: certain articles take effect as of June 1, 2026, others enter into force on July 1, 2026, January 1, 2027, April 1, 2027, June 1, 2027, or September 1, 2027. Several provisions take effect retroactively, notably on January 1, 2026, and March 26, 2026.

For students, teachers, and the administrations of Flemish schools, this decree constitutes a major step: it regulates the entry into the profession of beginning teachers, strengthens the transparency of working conditions, and adapts the pedagogical objectives of primary education. Its publication in the Belgian Official Gazette of August 26, 2026 (p. 46669, reference C-2026/005886) makes it enforceable against all, just a few days before the start of the school year.

Source: Belgian Official Gazette of August 26, 2026, p. 46669 — Decree of June 5, 2026 relating to education XXXVI (reference C-2026/005886), Flemish Community.