Mandatory instruction

Verified 11 April 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Your child is between 3 and 16 years old? He is then subject to the obligation of investigation. They must be enrolled in a school (public or private). Your child may also, under conditions, receive this instruction in the family. Young people between the ages of 16 and 18 have an obligation to train. Local missions shall monitor compliance with this obligation. Here is the information you need to know about the duty to investigate.

From 3 to 16 years

Children between the ages of 3 and 16 are subject to compulsory education.

You can choose to send your child to a school or educational institution (public or private).

You may also be authorized to educate your child in the family. There are limited reasons why you can get this permission.

Please note

from 3 to 6 years of age, children can attend school under certain conditions in kindergarten.

From the age of 3 years, you must register your child with thenursery school. You can also register it in kindergarten, under certain conditions.

Until he turns 16, you must register him in theprimary school, at college or at secondary school.

If you want your child to be educated in the family, you must request permission from the Dasen: titleContent.

In the event of a change of residence, enrollment in the new school must be completed within 8 days to the mayor's office of the new home.

If your child is attending school in the family, you must report the change of residence to the Dasen: titleContent. You have to do it within 8 days that follow your move.

Who shall I contact

At each school year, the mayor draws up a list of all the children subject to compulsory schooling who live in his commune. This list shall be updated every month.

if your child is educated in the family, the mayor must investigate the child, starting on 1re year. This survey is renewed every 2 years, until the child is 16 years old. The purpose of the investigation is to check the reasons why you requested this method of instruction.

The Mayor shall inform, throughout the year, Dasen: titleContent breaches of the obligation to enroll in an educational or family training establishment.

If you do not register your child in a school, without good reason, you will receive a formal notice to do so from the Dasen: titleContent.

If you do not comply with the  Dasen: titleContent to enroll the child in a school, you risk 6 months in prison and €7,500 of fine.

If you give your childEducation in the family without permission, you risk a fine of €1,500.

From 16 to 18 years

Young people between the ages of 16 and 18 have an obligation to train.

In order to comply with the training obligation, young people aged 16 to 18 must be in any of the following :

FYI  

a young person with health-related difficulties is not obliged to train until the age of 18. A medical certificate must justify his state of health.

Local missions monitor compliance with the training obligation.

1- Information gathering

Schools, apprenticeship training centers and public institutions first transmit information about their former pupils to local missions. This information may include their identity, contact details, the last school attended and the solutions and support offered to young people.

Local missions monitor compliance with the training obligation.

This information should enable local missions to identify young people who do not comply with the training obligation.

2- Maintenance

The local missions must then receive the young person and, if he is a minor, his legal representatives.

The aim is to inform him about the training obligation. Local missions must offer him a training solution, a return to school or the setting up of a support or insertion device.

If the young person does not attend the interview without proof, the local mission summons him or her with his or her legal representative.

The local mission must also summon the young person if he or she no longer responds to his or her requests or if he or she abandons his or her accompanying journey.

If the training obligation has not been complied with within 2 months of being convened, the local mission shall forward the information to the department. New integration solutions are offered to young people.

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