The families of more than 8,000 pupils in Flanders had to repay their school allowance last year because of repeated unauthorised absences. The allowance, which is automatically paid to the families of more than 500,000 pupils, provides annual financial support to low-income households. 

Currently, the payment is reclaimed if a pupil has 30 or more unauthorised half-day absences in two consecutive school years. Figures obtained by Flemish MEP Katrien Schryvers of CD&V show that repayments were enforced for 8,109 pupils in 2022-2023 and 8,223 in 2023-2024. 

The Flemish government wants to reduce the reference period from two years to one. 

The Flemish government has given the green light for new minimum targets for pre-school and primary education. These targets, which define what…

Schryvers supports earlier intervention, but says recovering funds should be a last resort. The priority, she argues, must be to keep children in school, not to financially penalise vulnerable families.

She also points to a lack of data. “We don’t know how much follow-up has been done or what the impact of repayments is. Without this knowledge, it is premature to tighten the rules,” she said.

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