On October 19, 2023, Brussels Minister Sven Gatz of the Open VLD party announced the allocation of €725,000 for the current school year to assist schools in addressing the educational needs
of children from low-income families. This initiative is in response to the alarming issue of child poverty, a challenge that Belgium plans to tackle during its upcoming EU presidency in 2024.
In Brussels, Gatz highlighted that one in four children grows up in poverty, which often hinders their development both at home and in school due to financial barriers that impede equal opportunities.
Through the Flemish Community Commission (FCC), the governing body for Dutch-language education in the Brussels-Capital Region, the minister aims to make school expenses more affordable for students from financially challenged families. This grant will enable schools to cover a range of educational costs, including textbooks, materials, school-related activities such as swimming, childcare, excursions, meals, and even menstrual products. This effort is aimed at ensuring that all students enjoy equal opportunities, regardless of their economic backgrounds.
Recent research by the King Baudouin Foundation underscores the severity of child poverty in Belgium. The study reveals that 21% of children in Brussels experience material child poverty, a higher rate than in Wallonia (17.3%) and Flanders (8.5%). Additionally, 12.8% of children lack at least three of the 17 essentials considered crucial for daily life by the EU. These essentials include access to healthy food, a wholesome home environment, living without financial debt, and engagement in leisure activities. These figures position Belgium at the bottom of the European ranking in terms of child poverty.
Child poverty presents a major social challenge with far-reaching consequences, not only for affected children and their families but for society as a whole. Consequently, this issue will take center stage during Belgium's EU presidency in the first half of 2024. Photo by ZiggyVandebriel, Wikimedia commons.