Wallonia-Brussels schools open under increased teaching hours and budget reforms

Increased teaching hours and workforce adjustments

On Monday, 24 August 2026, approximately 900,000 pupils across the Wallonia-Brussels Federation will return to school under a series of new education regulations approved in a June programme decree. A central provision increases weekly classroom teaching hours for upper secondary teachers from 20 to 22 periods without salary compensation. The government introduced this measure to curb budget deficits in the French-speaking community. Because additional hours for full-time staff reduce available assignments for non-statutory educators, temporary personnel must look for supplementary hours in other schools or lower secondary grades. To cushion the impact, the administration adopted temporary safeguards that maintain course volumes for priority temporary teachers at their 3 July 2026 levels until 31 December 2026. The government will also recall teachers seconded to youth organizations and associations back into classrooms to help address staff shortages.

Sick pay reductions and budget adjustments

The reform package also tightens end-of-career arrangements, known locally as DPPR, and alters sick leave compensation. After teachers exhaust their allowance of fully paid sick days, their replacement income will drop immediately to 60% of their base salary. Under the previous regime, absent personnel received 80% during their first year of illness and 70% during the second year before reaching 60% in the third year. In primary education, free basic school supplies will extend to fifth-grade pupils, with sixth grade scheduled to follow next year. However, the government eliminated the specific budget allocation previously provided to schools for these materials. Educational establishments must now finance supplies and subsidized school meal programs from their standard operational grants, which will receive no corresponding increase.

Rollout of the common core curriculum

Alongside the cost-saving measures, the common core curriculum will enter its next stage by launching in the first year of secondary education. Designed under the Pact for Excellence in Teaching, the common curriculum previously launched in kindergarten in 2020 and expanded through primary schools in 2022. The revised first-year secondary schedule includes one extra hour of mathematics, two periods dedicated to digital skills requested by Education Minister Valérie Glatigny, and one period of manual, technical, and technological training. In addition, schools will provide two weekly periods of personalized pupil support. The separate first differentiated year for pupils who did not pass their primary school certificate will close, with reallocated resources assigned to reinforced supervision.

Union mobilization and upcoming government talks

Labor unions representing educational personnel have voiced sustained opposition to the decrees, though no school closures are expected on the opening day. Roland Lahaye of the CSC Enseignement union stated that staff would welcome pupils as planned on Monday.

I do not think schools will be closed at the start of the school year, because teachers know this is an important moment for students.

Union leaders plan to convene school assemblies throughout the coming weeks to coordinate future protests, while public transport operator TEC announced multi-day strike actions. Adrien Rosman of the Setca-Sel union indicated that teacher resolve remained steady despite the summer recess.

There is no reason why the two summer months would have altered the determination of staff members.

In response to the tension, Minister Glatigny scheduled a consultation with education representatives on 1 September 2026. The government intends to establish a monitoring committee composed of school directors, economists, and other education stakeholders to evaluate the rollout of the measures.