A significant number of Flemish students entering teacher training are failing to meet basic educational benchmarks, according to internal data obtained by De Standaard. The mandatory entry tests in maths, French and Dutch, designed at the level of 12-year-olds, reveal widespread knowledge gaps among prospective primary school teachers.
All trainee teachers in Flanders must sit a Dutch test before starting their course. Those aiming for primary education are also tested in maths and French. The results, however, are concerning: one in three students scores below 50 per cent in maths, with another third barely passing. In French, 43 per cent fail outright and a further 27 per cent are advised to take remedial lessons. Grammar scores are particularly weak, with average marks below the halfway point.
Dutch results are somewhat stronger, yet only 2.9 per cent of nearly 7,000 participants achieved a score of 85 per cent or more. Even students from academic tracks (ASO) performed only slightly better than those from technical or arts-focused backgrounds.
The results are politically sensitive. The Council of the Flemish Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts (Vlaamse Hogescholenraad) has discouraged public discussion, and education minister Zuhal Demir’s office initially denied access to the data. Yet behind the scenes, concern is growing – especially with Demir’s planned overhaul of teacher training as part of the Flemish government’s coalition agreement.
Training colleges said they are expanding support programmes in response, offering intensive remedial classes during holidays and in cooperation with adult education centres. Institutions like Thomas More and Artevelde Hogeschool now provide up to 80 hours of additional instruction in core subjects.
