The study shows that for half of all children (51%), French is the only language spoken at home. While in 46% of families, another language is spoken and 3% at least other two. The investigation doesn’t reveal exactly which are the other languages spoken, but other studies carried out within the adult population show that it is mainly English and Dutch. According to Perrine Humblet, sociologist and doctor in Public Health Sciences at the ULB, follow “Arabic, Spanish and Italian, followed by other languages of the world”.

The sociologist continues stating that this multilingualism is a new norm that institutions should take into account. This new situation must be taken into consideration in nurseries and schools. In fact, the researcher stresses the importance of valuing all mother tongues. “Institutions are not aware that these children are full of skills. If a child speaks English at home, it is positive, but if he speaks Arabic or Lingala, plurilingualism is likely to be considered an obstacle”. According to her, is, therefore, necessary to use these mother languages, whatever they are, as a teaching tool to value all languages.

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Similar laws already exist in Flanders and Wallonia; the most recent law extending the ban to the Belgian capital was passed during the last plenary session of the current term’s Chamber of Representatives. Offenders risk a fine of up to €1,200.

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The platform, accessible at the address my.one.be, offers to look for a nursery, a home-based host or any type of reception environment according to several criteria like the postal code, the tariffs (subsidized structure or not), the opening hours, the number of carers, children or the type of organization of the ages. For each hosting environment, the site indicates its registration service, its organization’s structure, and its contact details.

The nursery that so wish can specify if they are full and from when places will be available, as well as other elements like their educational project, the existence or not of a garden, etc.

The exact amount requested per day is not yet filled in but these and other data will be added gradually. « This is a collaborative platform, initiated with parents and host communities taking into account the expectations of parents, » said the head of the Home Department of ONE, Dominique Fievez.

Its goal is also to simplify relations between the ONE and the host communities as well as to help the public authorities better identify the places where the lack of places for children is the most obvious, she added.

« First steps(Premiers pas) is the name of a website but also the first steps of a much larger movement to make life easier for parents and, at the same time, help us with other projects thanks to all of the collected data, » said Alda Gréoli. Under this legislature, 5,000 reception places have been created and a new call for projects will be launched, said the minister.

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Our storyteller, audiovisual artist Félix Brassier and creator of the series shares his thoughts:

« The story of Mervat is one out of the thousands of life stories we face regularly. Through her fight for freedom, safety and recognition, Mervat have given much more than an example, she has proven that even in the worse conditions women can still find a way out to live their dreams. I focused on the universality of her story which is for me, a strong and powerful message to give to girls all over the world. Even with all its sadness and sorrow, I wanted to emphasize on how resilient and strong girls have to be, that’s why I choose to have a more colorful story which is also illustrating Mervat’s creations. »

« Just Married »: Mervat’s Story

« Just Married »: Mervat’s Story

SB OverSeas is an NGO that organizes education, empowerment and emergency aid projects in Lebanon and Brussels to give hope and opportunity to those whose lives have been torn apart by conflict. Learn more about our projects and how to get involved: sboverseas.org 

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The post Whisper it quietly to the little ones but Disney on Ice is coming back to Belgium! appeared first on Brussels Express.

According to a joint report released by the Human Rights Watch and the European Disability Forum,  European Schools lack the proper support and amenities for children with disabilities.  The report titled « Walk or die »: The obstacles faced by children with disabilities in the European School system revealed that children with disabilities feel rejected, often pressured to change schools or denied the adequate amenities and support which would allow them to thrive.

Nine parents interviewed by Human Rights Watch said they felt pressured by school officials to remove their child from school. Under the CRPD, children with disabilities are entitled to individualized supports and reasonable accommodations at school, including appropriate teaching methods, materials and curricula, the provision of assistive technologies and differentiated examination formats. According to the parents, these accommodations were not systematic and depended on the wishes of the school staff.

Claire, the mother of a 16-year-old boy with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), explained, « There are two situations: children are thrown out, often because they are school failure. Either they are isolated, not supported, until they decide to go out on their own. It’s ‘walk or die. »

Claire, who ended up taking her son out of the European School in 2015, said that all the children who received tutoring in her son’s class, with one exception, left.

Louise, a 15-year-old girl with dyslexia, also left the European School after struggling for years to find basic accommodations for her learning difficulties, such as the right to use a device for take pictures of the painting. « This school was like an anthill, every year they filtered the best to keep only the elite. Those who are a little defective, they do everything to reject them. They wanted us to feel so bad that we left on our own.  »

In addition, the European Schools offer only one curriculum leading to the European Baccalaureate and which can not be adapted to the various needs, strengths, difficulties and learning styles of children with disabilities.

Even if the staff of the European Schools are adapting, it is not their goodwill that should depend on whether the needs of children with disabilities are taken into account. The European Schools should be committed to inclusive education both at political level and in practice, and support it with sufficient resources.

The Higher Council of the European Schools should adopt an inclusive education policy, provide teacher training and introduce flexibility in the curriculum. The European Commission, which provides more than half of the European Schools’ budget, should guide the process and ensure that its funding contributes to an inclusive system.

The post Students with disabilities face obstacles in the European Schools appeared first on Brussels Express.

Schaerbeek Museum of Beer

The small Museum of Beer is located in the workshop of a former school. It is surrounded by a beautiful garden. This inconspicuous place gives you a taste of the famous beer called Schaerbeekoise, which is unique and not available anywhere else.

Its scenography shows the various states of beer production and a collection of around 2000 beer bottles, many of them are accompanied by their brand glass.

The museum encourages you to approach the history of brewing such as: old beer-making machines, coopers’ tools, pub and beer signs, various publicity materials and even documents from former or existing breweries.

Cheers!

The Belgian Chocolate Village

The Belgian Chocolate Village (BCV) is one of the largest museums dedicated to chocolate. It covers more than 900 m². The tour shows the history of chocolate, its culture and production, the associated benefits for health. It appeals to all the visitors’ senses through different activities being held in the museum.

The permanent exhibition displays chocolate sculptures made by Belgian chocolatiers: the Atomium, the Cinquantenaire, as well as Greek mythological creatures made of chocolate. You can also witness the creative process of making chocolate by a local artisan chocolatier.

There is also a tropical greenhouse, an indoor orangery with cacao trees and other exotic plants. Finally, there is a boutique where chocolate lovers can buy handmade chocolate from all around Belgium.

Mmm!

Brussels Museum of the Mill and Food

The museum is a National Heritage building, located in an old mill. The permanent exhibition shows the milling process, milling techniques, its milling history and energy use. The exhibition is completely changed each year to highlight different aspects of food.

This year the museum holds the exhibition ‘Kids menu. A big history of little eaters.’

It’s all about the way children are fed from the time they are babies and onward. Moreover, the exhibition tries to compare Belgian cultural heritage with other cultures. The theme is covered by explanatory texts, period objects, photographs, archival documents from various Belgian and foreign collections. It is presented with the help of dynamic display. It also explains the children’s appetite for sweets and fast food.

Bon appetit!

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Around a thousand children aged between five and eight, accompanied by their teachers, will have a warm welcome for the patron saint of schoolchildren. The party will be in full swing from early in the morning. On the programme: entertainment, music and hot drinks.After the Great Saint lands at the port, Minister-President Rudi Vervoort, a band and a throng of enthusiastic children will give him the warmest of welcomes.

St. Nicholas’ boat will land at Beco quay. The Great Saint will then go to Quay01 to welcome several groups of children and share a special moment with them in his “Throne Room”. They will go back home with some wonderful surprises.

The activity has been suggested to all schools in the Brussels-Capital Region. As happens every year, great numbers of them wanted to take part. A total of 18 schools in Brussels will take part in the event.

Good to know:

• Date: 30 November
• Program: 09:30 a.m.: Welcome speech to the children
  • 10:00 a.m.: Arrival of Saint Nicholas
  • 10:00 to 10:15 a.m.: Welcome speech for the Great Saint from Minister President Rudi Vervoort
  • 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Meeting with Saint Nicholas for children aged between 5 and 8
  • 12:30 p.m.: Departure of Saint Nicholas

• Venue: Quai Béco – 1000 Brussels
• Attendance confirmation via email to:  n.wibail@visit.brussels

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