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school holiday help

Question

Is it true that it's impossible in Belgian schools to take your kids out for more than 2 days without a medical excuse? We have this once in a lifetime huge family trip planned (kids are in primary school) and want to take them out for a couple weeks before Xmas break and are now being told by everyone that they won't "allow" it and the school won't issue our children a passing grade for the year if we do that. Does anyone know any way around this? And please spare me the Belgian moral reasoning behind this. We know there this trip would be vastly more educational than what they could ever learn in the classroom. I just want to find a solution without jeopardizing their certification. Thanks!

anon

I'll try and spare you the "Belgian moral reasoning behind this", but suffice to say that education is compulsory, and if your take your kids out of school without good reason, then the school has a legal obligation to note that.  More than two days and the school has good reason to refuse to allow your child to pass into the next year. 

Like it or lump it, but those are the rules here, and I think you'll find that it is also the rule in many other countries.

Sep 16, 2011 18:58