Located in the heart of Brussels, BEPS International School is excited to introduce a Financial Aid Programme to support the enrollment of students who otherwise would not be able to attend the school due to financial reasons. « At BEPS, we believe that students learn best in an environment which includes peers from a variety of economic, cultural, and geographic backgrounds,” said Pascale Hertay, Director of BEPS International School in Brussels.

The Financial Aid Programme is limited to students entering Year 7 – Year 10 (Grade 6 – Grade 9) who are either already enrolled at BEPS International School or who are joining from another school.

Recipients of financial aid will benefit from grants that cover a certain percentage of the annual tuition fee. The level of financial assistance is reviewed annually and covers the tuition fee alone.

The primary responsibility for tuition rests with the family, and each family is expected to fully utilise its own resources before requesting financial aid. BEPS recognises the distinctiveness of each situation and tailors aid packages to meet the needs demonstrated by families that qualify.

BEPS will consider applications for financial aid throughout the year, but there is a set annual budget. Once the financial aid budget is exhausted, the school will be unable to offer additional grants in that year. Eligibility for financial aid does not guarantee that BEPS will automatically release funds.

For more information contact: admissions@beps.com

The post Alternative financing resources for the education of your children appeared first on Brussels Express.

In a multicultural city like Brussels, the need for an international and wide-angle view on education has become fundamental. In a globalized and ever-changing world, what are the methodologies that are being used to challenge and stimulate a child’s mind? This month Brussels Express visited BEPS International School to speak about the educational trends and methods with Mrs. Pascale Hertay, the school’s director.

“We want to prepare our students for the challenges of today, but also for the ones of tomorrow’s world,” Mrs. Hertay said. “We seek to respond to the major findings on how the brain works. We want to constantly stimulate our students’ minds. In our school teachers act as facilitators. Their role has become that of helping the students find the right tools, creating the proper environment to learn.”

“The students are the F1 drivers,” said Tim Gill, Assistant Principal Secondary School. “They are the ones behind the steering wheel. We are giving them advice all the time, yes, but they are the ones who take action. That’s I think a good metaphor.”

In the past, the focus was on the delivery of knowledge. A teacher would stand in front of the class and lecture, write on the board, then lecture some more. Students took notes. They had to memorize facts and figures, anatomical names and functions, formulas and coefficients, the knowledge of which would be later tested. But did the students understand how to use such knowledge?

“Here we want them to learn how to think,” said Mrs. Hertay. “We give a lot of importance to the act of reflection. Students need to ask themselves, ‘How am I learning this? What is the purpose? What is my next step?’”

An effective teacher or mentor will not give a student the answer, but the ability to ask the right question.

“They become confident learners,” said Andrew Mitchell, Curriculum Coordinator Secondary School. “No matter what the context is, what the problem is, they will find a way to solve it. That’s what we call, taking ownership of your own learning.”

BEPS International school is located in a quiet neighborhood, not far from the Bois de La Cambre. BEPS has recently expanded from Early Years and Primary levels, and now has a Secondary school as well.

“It all came from the parents of our primary school students,” said Mrs. Hertay. “Many of them would say, ’We’re having trouble finding a secondary school that combines a rigorous learning approach with BEPS’ family atmosphere.”

BEPS is a candidate for the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme and intends to complete authorisation as an IB World School next academic year. The IB programmes provide an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education and is recognized by many universities worldwide.

“In our secondary program, each student is accompanied in their learning by a mentor,” continued Mrs. Hertay. “They provide counsel to the students, help them to plan and organise. They provide emotional support where appropriate, as well. We understand these adolescent years are crucial for them.”

When asked about what made BEPS’ teachers different, Mr. Gill said: “The teachers work hard, planning to make learning relevant, encouraging individual students to explore both how they learn and what they learn. Enthusiasm and good rapport build bridges for creativity, positive action and solid achievements, valuing the cultural differences that enrich the atmosphere of the school.”

To learn more about BEPS International School either visit their website or contact them at info@beps.com. For more information about the MYP and the International Baccalaureate please visit.

The post Educational methods in Brussels – An interview with BEPS International School’s director and Secondary team 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.

THE World University Rankings 2019 included more than 1250 universities across 86 countries. As was the case last year, this year’s list is led by the University of Oxford ranking 1st and the University of Cambridge ranking 2nd.

Three Belgian universities made it in the top 200: KU Leuven, The Catholic University of Louvain (UCL), and the University of Ghent.

KU Leuven, the first Belgian university, occupies the 48th position, down one place compared to the previous edition of the charts. 

UCL climbed one rank to the 128th place, which it shares with the University of Maastricht. University of Ghent dropped to 143rd position.  The Free University of Brussels, ranked 175th last year, did not make it in the top 200 in 2018.

Top 10:

1. Oxford University (GB)

2. University of Cambridge (GB)

3. Stanford University (USA),

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA)

5. California Institute of Technology (USA)

6. Harvard University (USA)

7. Princeton University (USA)

8. Yale University (USA)

9. Imperial College London (UK)

10. University of Chicago (USA)

The post 3 Belgian universities rank among the top 200 in the World University Rankings appeared first on Brussels Express.

Prepare to be inspired by keynote speaker Robin Kleer, Vlerick Professor of Innovation Management, who is eager to tell you all about his future vision, which is unfolding today.

Vlerick Professor Robin Kleer will  give you food for thought as it sets a vibrant, congenial tone for this unique expat evening.

About the keynote speech

Industry 4.0 captures the ‘Industrial Internet of Things’, automation, digitisation and individualisation in a factory: the smart factory.

Applying Industry 4.0 should help a company answer the following:

• How more information about your customer can lead to more efficient production;
• How digitisation of production leads to more individualised products;
• And how a new dimension in networking ability enhances our collaboration productivity.

In the end, the question becomes: what (new) business models can we enable with the smart factory? And how do we manage the transition?

Robin Kleer is a Professor of Innovation Management at Vlerick Business School. After earning his PhD in Economics at the University of Würzburg, Germany, Robin worked as an assistant Professor at RWTH Aachen University and as a Professor of Technology and Innovation Management at the Technical University of Berlin. Robin has travelled abroad to teach, consult, and conduct research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, and the German University of Technology.

Robin’s research focus is on technology transfer and the interdependencies of innovation, market structure and business models. He is particularly interested in the impact of digitisation and new production methods, such as additive manufacturing (3D printing).

Join him on 14 November at the Vlerick Expat event where he will tell you all about his future vision on Industry 4.0: what (new) business models we can enable with the smart factory and how do we manage the transition?

For whom

Expatriates, accompanying spouses and corporate mobility managers.

Program

• 6 pm – 6.30 pm: Welcome
• 6.30 pm: Introduction by Prof Dirk Buyens, Director Executive Education, Vlerick Business School
• 6.45 pm – 8 pm: Keynote Address ‘Industry 4.0: the impact of digitisation on the factory of the future’, by Robin Kleer and Q&A
• 8 pm – 10 pm: Networking reception

Price & registration

• Price: Free event. Please note that a no-show fee of 50 euro will be charged for no showing up without prior notice (10 November at the latest).
• Online registration is mandatory (before 4 November 2018)

Interested in joining?

All programme details & registration on: www.vlerick.com/expatevent

The post Give your career a new inspiration – join the free Vlerick Expat Event appeared first on Brussels Express.

Some of you might be familiar with the complexity of the institutional system and Federalism in Belgium. When it comes to education, neither the Federal authorities nor the Regional ones are responsible. The communities, which refer to the language, are: the French community, the Flemish community, or the German-speaking community. In need of information, one should be in touch with each Community authority.

Formal requirements

What happens for non-Belgian people? If you are an EU national, no worries, it is not a big deal. You are entitled to study in Belgium after you have filled some documents with regards to residency, reasons for coming etc.

If you’re not an EU national, you need a visa to enter and study in Belgium. You should contact the Belgian embassy in your country of residence, and you’ll be given all the papers and documents you need to fill out.

What to do?

If you’re not familiar with the Belgian educational system, you can browse through some of the courses you can take. These websites might help you to find a degree of interest:

Programs in Dutch:

http://www.studyinflanders.be/

Programs in French:

http://www.enseignement.be/index.php?page=26036

Programs in German:

http://www.ostbelgienlive.be/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-107/

Some programs in English:

https://www.vesalius.edu/admissions/entry-requirements-2/

http://www.studyinbelgium.be/en

Cost

Education in Belgium is somewhat cheap if you plan to study in one of the three official languages. An academic year at the university will cost you a couple of hundred Euros.

You also can benefit from grants. The Development Cooperation has a list of all the official bodies which offer grants in Belgium. You also can have a look at some EU programmes, such as Erasmus or Leonardo da Vinci.

Where to stay?

Many rooms and universities have rooms for students. Specific departments in each university will offer support for that. You also can joinig a ‘kot’ (with flatmates), which can give you an overall idea about the student life in Belgium.

The post Any friends or relatives who’d like to study in Belgium? Here are some tips appeared first on Brussels Express.

With a Belgian father and Dutch mother, his father said his son had struggled playing with children early on, and showed no real interest in toys. Laurent infact says his favourite subject is maths « because it’s so vast, there’s statistics, geometry, algebra« . After a two-month holiday from school, he will start university.

Laurent has said he consideres becoming a surgeon or an astronaut, but is currently thinking about going into computers.

« If he decided tomorrow to become a carpenter, that would not be a problem for us, as long as he is happy, » his father said.

The post Belgian boy heads off to university aged 8 appeared first on Brussels Express.

The government has been working on this plan since 2015. The aim is clear: “reinforcing the quality of teaching for all the pupils”; consultations and exchanges were conducted last year for such a purpose. After varieties of reforms have been considered, the chosen option for the primary and secondary schools have been presented last week to the government.

The main point is about updating the schedules, and to make them similar in most of the schools. Mrs Schyn wants an “ambitious common basis”, to make them more adapted to the current realities.

Some proposed changes were reported in Le Soir. In primary schools, the pupils will now be taught a modern language as of the third grade; today learning a foreign language starts two years later. A special focus has also been put on sport. In the 5th and 6th year of primary school, the pupils will take three hours of sport (two hours today). Mrs Schyn aims to link sports classes with teachings on health and alimentation.

Secondary schools will also be subject to some updates, extending teaching time to 34 hours per week. To make school as effective as possible for the individuals, the pupils will take 2 hours of compulsory personal support per week. And the Wallonian-Brusselian schools will also have to deliver 2 hours of ancient language per week in the 2nd year of secondary school. 2 hours of cultural and artistic classes will also be introduced.
A debate had been raised with regard to human science in the secondary school.

It was indeed uncertain how history, geography, economic and social science would have been taught in the future. The schools will enjoy a certain freedom to schedule those classes as they see fit over the coming three years.

The reform will not apply as of the next school year. It aims to enter into force in 2020 in the primary schools, and in 2024 in the secondary schools. It is now up to the Council of ministers and the Parliament to endorse such reforms.

The post Education reforms in Wallonia-Brussels appeared first on Brussels Express.