A key to employment, first and foremost in Brussels, where one job in two requires Dutch. As in Wallonia, knowledge of Dutch is essential to landing a job in public administration, healthcare (hospitals, care homes), retail, logistics, hospitality and tourism, and more. In Flanders, thousands of jobs remain vacant for lack of candidates able to overcome the language barrier. Speaking Dutch or German, alongside French, is not theoretical: these are concrete opportunities, here and now.
But it is also a key to living better together. In a multilingual country, understanding the other person's language means understanding their culture, their realities, their debates. It strengthens social cohesion and brings our democracy fully to life.
That is why we are taking a decisive step. From the 2027-2028 school year, learning a second national language (Dutch or German, important in certain municipalities of the country) will become widespread from the 3rd year of primary school. While Dutch is already compulsory in the Brussels-Capital Region, it is not yet in Wallonia. We are changing that. And from the 2030-2031 school year, Dutch will also be integrated into the CEB, a strong signal ahead of Belgium's bicentenary in 2030.
This reform will help reduce the shortage of language teachers in primary schools, since fewer language courses will need to be organised in parallel (the removal of English lessons in primary school). But we must do more, because this ambition requires human resources. Faced with the structural shortage of teachers, particularly in Germanic languages, we are taking action. Language teachers, recognised as being in a shortage occupation, will benefit from a salary boost of up to seven years of seniority. We are increasing the pay of teachers trained over four years, and easing the workload at the start and end of their careers.
Our approach is clear: an ambitious, secured reform, with a teacher in front of every class, to strengthen the learning of our national languages.
Because learning a language is not just about learning words. It trains memory, sharpens reasoning, structures thought. It strengthens the fundamentals. And it prepares our children to succeed in a country that must turn multilingualism into an asset.