Primary and secondary education
Primary and secondary education in the French Community
As of September 2020, children in the French Community are required to attend school starting from the age of 5. Following one compulsory year of pre-school education, primary school lasts another 6 years.
Secondary education (enseignement secondaire) lasts 6 years. The exception is vocational secondary education which lasts 7 years. Students conclude secondary education with a Certificat d’enseignement secondaire supérieur in 1 of 4 possible specialisations, also known as enseignements:
- Certificat d’enseignement secondaire supérieur - enseignement professionnel;
- Certificat d’enseignement secondaire supérieur - enseignement artistique;
- Certificat d’enseignement secondaire supérieur - enseignement technique;
- Certificat d’enseignement secondaire supérieur - enseignement général.
This diploma grants access to all forms of higher education in the French Community of Belgium. Access to higher education is also possible via a separate state exam resulting in the Diplôme d'aptitude à accéder à l'enseignement supérieur.
Certificat d’enseignement secondaire supérieur - enseignement professionnel
- Duration: 7 years.
- Content: vocational, practical education, with work placements and practical education sometimes taking up more than half of the curriculum.
- Function of the diploma: work. Access to higher education is also possible.
- Diploma: Certificat d’enseignement secondaire supérieur - enseignement professionel.
We compare a Certificat d’enseignement secondaire supérieur - enseignement professionel to a diploma for the general education part and to an diploma level 3 for the vocational education part.
HAVO
Senior general secondary education (hoger algemeen voortgezet onderwijs, HAVO). A HAVO diploma is awarded upon successful completion of a 5-year programme of general secondary education.
MBO
Secondary vocational education (middelbaar beroepsonderwijs, MBO). MBO prepares pupils for the professional practice or further study. This type of education follows on from VMBO; its duration will depend on the chosen qualification. MBO comprises 4 levels (I-IV). Read more on the website of SBB.
Certificat d’enseignement secondaire supérieur - enseignement artistique
- Duration: 6 years.
- Content: general education and arts subjects (enseignement artistique). Usually, the practical subjects only constitute a small percentage of the total subject cluster.
- Function of the diploma: access to higher education.
- Diploma: Certificat d’enseignement secondaire supérieur - enseignement artistique.
We compare a Certificat d’enseignement secondaire supérieur - enseignement artistique to a diploma, or sometimes to a HAVO diploma with vocational subjects.
VWO
Pre-university education (voorbereidend wetenschappelijk onderwijs, VWO). A VWO diploma is awarded upon successful completion of a 6-year programme of pre-university education. VWO is the highest level of general secondary education available in the Netherlands.
Please note: we compare the enseignement artistique diploma to a VWO diploma as the percentage of general education subjects is usually high. However, for some subject clusters with a high percentage of vocational subjects, we compare the enseignement artistique diploma to a HAVO diploma with vocational subjects.
Certificat d’enseignement secondaire supérieur - enseignement technique
- Duration: 6 years.
- Content: general education and practical subjects (technical/economic/administrative, enseignement technique). Usually, the practical subjects only constitute a small percentage of the total subject cluster.
- Function of the diploma: access to higher education.
- Diploma: Certificat d’enseignement secondaire supérieur - enseignement technique.
We compare a Certificat d’enseignement secondaire supérieur - enseignement technique to a VWO diploma, or sometimes to a HAVO diploma with vocational subjects.
Please note: we compare the enseignement technique diploma to a VWO diploma as the percentage of general education subjects is usually high. However, for some subject clusters with a high percentage of vocational subjects, we compare the enseignement technique diploma to a HAVO diploma with vocational subjects.
Certificat d’enseignement secondaire supérieur - enseignement général
- : 6 years.
- Content: general education subjects.
- Function of the diploma: access to higher education.
- Diploma: Certificat d’enseignement secondaire supérieur - enseignement général.
Duration
The official length of the full-time programme (not part-time) without study delay.
We compare a Certificat d’enseignement secondaire supérieur - enseignement général to a VWO diploma.
Diplôme d'aptitude à accéder à l'enseignement supérieur
The Certificat d’enseignement secondaire supérieur grants access to all forms of higher education in the French Community. However, it is also possible to gain access to higher education by sitting a separate state examination before a government committee of the French Community (jury de la Communauté française). If you pass this examination, you are awarded the Diplôme d'aptitude à accéder à l'anseignement supérieur.