693 children are on the waiting list for a place in an Antwerp special primary school next school year. That is more than last year. “The situation remains problematic,” says Graziela Dekeyser, chairman of LOP primary education.
The shortage of places in special primary education in Antwerp remains significant. In fact, the problem is getting worse. Not only are there too few places, but the number of children registering for an exceptional school is also increasing every year.
693 of the 1,107 registered children, 63 percent, were not given a place in a school and are on the waiting list. This is reported by the Local Consultation Platform (LOP) for primary education. Last year that was still 59 percent and involved 599 students out of 1,015 registrations.
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However, many additional places were added during the past school year, including in the new Learning Expert Capitan at the Luchtbal. 148 students with a moderate to severe intellectual disability (type 2) and students with an autism spectrum disorder (type 9) started there.
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Catching up is therefore not enough. The existing schools are creating extra places where they can, but there too they are reaching the ceiling. “School boards and the city of Antwerp are fully investigating where additional capacity is possible, but the situation remains problematic,” says Graziela Dekeyser, chairman of the LOP primary education. “We are still looking for structural solutions. That is why it is essential that the Flemish government continues to facilitate the schools and the city, also in the long term.”
At Flemish level, research is still underway into what can explain the increasing number of registrations in special education. We are still waiting for the results.
There is good news for regular primary education. There, 98 percent of the entrants got a school from their top 3.
No room? What now?
Parents can register their child during the free registration period in a school where there are still available places. For special primary education this is possible from Thursday 2 May, for regular primary education from Thursday 23 May.
An overview of the schools with available places will soon be available on meldjeaan.antwerpen.be.
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