The Government of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation has approved, at first reading, the extension of the experimental system of local substitute-teacher pools for the 2026-2027 school year, on a proposal by Education Minister Valérie Glatigny.
Launched in 2022 in primary schools in Brussels and South Hainaut, this mechanism aims to address the short-term substitution difficulties faced by schools. Its principle is simple: build teams of full-time teachers hired for the whole school year who can be deployed quickly in case of absence.
This system serves a dual purpose. On the one hand, it gives temporary teachers greater professional stability through an annual appointment. On the other hand, it allows school leaders to access available staff more quickly, limiting disruption to pupils' learning.
Since the start of the 2025 school year, the experiment has been extended to Walloon Brabant and Namur to assess how it works in different local contexts. Initial results are encouraging: evaluations show a positive assessment of the system by both school leaders and teachers, who highlight better organisation of substitutions and greater stability within teaching teams.
The extension decided by Minister Glatigny will make it possible to carry out a full evaluation, particularly of the effects of this expansion, before rolling the system out more widely. This approach reflects the Government's determination to develop concrete responses to the teacher shortage and to boost the attractiveness of the profession.
For the 2026-2027 school year, the system will be renewed unchanged, with 68 full-time equivalents spread across the four participating zones.
“In the face of the teacher shortage, we must prioritise concrete, evaluated and effective solutions. The substitute-teacher pools give teachers more security and school leaders greater peace of mind. By extending this experiment, we are giving ourselves the means to carry out a full evaluation before deciding whether to roll it out more widely,” says Minister Valérie Glatigny.