Flanders Ties School Support to Parents’ Dutch Proficiency

Learning Dutch will become more important than ever for newcomers in Flanders. The Flemish government has approved a new language plan, “Nederlands werkt!” (“Dutch Works!”), spearheaded by Education Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA).

The plan aims to strengthen Dutch language skills among newcomers and parents of school-age children — but its rollout coincides awkwardly with another government decision: the abolition of the school bonus, one of the very measures Demir hoped to use as leverage to encourage parents to learn the language.

“To fully take part in Flanders, you have to speak Dutch,” Demir said on De Ochtend (Radio 1). “This plan ensures that language learning is more accessible, more flexible, and closely tied to work and education.”

Dutch as a Lever for Integration

At the heart of Demir’s plan are four main goals:

• keeping Dutch lessons affordable (€1.50 per hour),
• providing more opportunities to practice the language outside the classroom (through local initiatives like “language buddies” and “language walks”),
• prioritizing parents of school-going children, and
• raising the required language proficiency from A2 to B1 by September 2027.

The plan also focuses on linking language learning to employment. In cooperation with the VDAB and adult education centers, newcomers will be able to follow combined tracks where Dutch lessons and professional training go hand in hand, particularly in shortage sectors like healthcare and childcare.

Parents at the Center 

A key part of the plan targets parents, who play a crucial role in their children’s language development. Demir wants to encourage parents to take Dutch lessons, even considering linking financial benefits to language participation.

Originally, that leverage was expected to come through the school bonus, an annual payment given to families with children at the start of the school year. Under earlier coalition agreements, parents who refused to learn Dutch could see that their bonus withheld until they enrolled in classes.

But just weeks before the language plan was announced, the Diependaele government decided to largely abolish the school bonus scheme, saving an estimated €55 million. Only families already receiving social allowances were exempt.

From Bonus to Allowance

Demir’s cabinet insists the loss of the school bonus is “not a problem.” According to her office, the bonus was relatively small — between €23 and €69 per child, depending on age — and outside her department’s control.

Instead, Demir plans to use the school allowance as the new “stick and carrot.” The amount of the school allowance varies considerably. In primary education, the minimum allowance is €148, in secondary education, €286.

However, critics warn that this approach risks hurting the poorest families. Only those below a certain income threshold are eligible for the allowance, meaning that middle-income parents who refuse to learn Dutch would face no financial consequence, while poorer ones could see vital support withdrawn.

Poverty Groups Sound the Alarm

Anti-poverty organizations and the Gezinsbond (Family Association) have raised concerns that tying financial aid to behavior could punish children for their parents’ actions.

They also point out that the abolition of the school bonus adds to a series of benefit cuts since 2019. According to the Gezinsbond, a family with two young children has already lost around €780 in purchasing power due to child benefit reforms, halted indexation, and the disappearance of various allowances.

“The Growth Package is turning into a shrinking package,” said Jeroen Sleurs, director of the Gezinsbond. “While the government talks about helping families integrate, it’s also taking away the financial tools that could make that possible.”