MUSIC EDUCATION IN BELGIUM WALLONIA – FLANDERS 2008

SIMILARITIES Ministry, finances, staff Embedded in the ministry of education, which is a regional matter (one ministry of education in Wallonia, one in Flanders) Finances: salaries of teachers, directors, and part of the administration are paid by the regional government of education; cost for infrastructure, instruments, supplementary personnel for administration is paid by the communities; Staff: Most of the personnel is appointed for life There is no official pyramid of hierarchy: the director is lonely at the top, all the other members of the staff are on the same level All teachers are professional musicians with conservatory-diploma, many of them combining education with practice as an artist

Structure; quality control; moving on to profession Nearly all music schools are part of an art school in which also drama and dance is organized (ex. exception: the carrillon school in Mechelen is only music school) Structure of the music education: lower degree (until 12 years); average degree (until 15 years); higher degree (until 18 years; the same structure exists also for adults The quality of the education is guaranteed by means of examinations (x-ray) by inspection of the ministry The same percentage of students choose for music as a profession after music school (1%)

DIFFERENCES Wallonia: Music education is free for students until the age of 12, costs maximum € 160 (adults) a year Students come to the music school 2h a week The ministry is not involved very actively in music education The ministry finance is blocked since 1998

Flanders: music education costs between €32 and €180 (adults) a year, is not expensive but never free Students come to the music school 3h a week The ministry is active and working on a new decree to adapt the art education (not only music) to today’s society The ministry finance follows the needs

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