The Government of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation has just approved the guidance note setting out the broad outlines of the reform of lower secondary education, from year one to year three.
Driven by Education Minister Valérie Glatigny, this reform restores full meaning to young people's school journey: getting to know themselves, discovering professions, testing their interests and building their project step by step, without locking the pupil into too early a choice.
Once experienced as a break, the transition between the end of primary school and the start of secondary school will now be marked by genuine pedagogical continuity. Pupils without a primary school certificate (CEB) will benefit from enhanced support, built into their timetable, to consolidate their knowledge and prevent dropout. The differentiated stream will gradually disappear, in favour of personalised support.
In the 1st year of secondary school, pupils will consolidate their basic learning while opening up to new subjects and working methods. Digital technology holds a central place in our society, which is why this reform aims to strengthen digital skills, including in relation to artificial intelligence. Two discovery days will be organised during non-teaching days, to spark curiosity and kick-start guidance. Personalised support, tailored to each pupil's needs, will help underpin success.
In the 2nd year of secondary school, guidance takes on a more concrete dimension. Every pupil will benefit from eight half-days of guidance activities per year (short work placements, company visits, workshops, talks) to discover different fields, get to know themselves and build up their guidance record. The timetable is also changing, with an extra period of maths and foreign languages, to strengthen the fundamentals. As the first Minister to introduce a genuine dedicated digital skills course, Valérie Glatigny is making media education and digital culture an essential lever for developing critical thinking and citizenship education among our young people in a rapidly changing world.
In the 3rd year of secondary school, guidance becomes the core of the curriculum and acquires a certifying character. Every pupil will follow eight option periods per week, split into two modules of four periods, across three possible pathways: transition, qualifying or versatile. This structure will, for example, allow science and language courses in the transition pathway, mechanics and electricity courses in the qualifying pathway, or a combination of carpentry and science courses in the versatile pathway.
A three-day work placement in a chosen field will give every pupil the chance to discover a working environment first-hand. At the end of the year, an oral defence of a guidance project before a panel will showcase the pupil's journey and achievements. This assessment, integrated into the Lower Secondary Education Certificate (CESI), will place guidance on an equal footing with external certifying assessments. Let us clarify straight away that a pupil who wishes to change their project in the 4th year of secondary school will be free to do so.
Beyond pupils, the reform is accompanied by consultation and training work for teachers. Training dedicated to the first year of secondary school will be launched from January 2026, and the reorganisation of guidance activities will help preserve numerous jobs in qualifying education, thereby limiting the impact originally envisaged by the Pact for Excellence in Teaching.
This reform of lower secondary education promotes education that opens horizons, consolidates learning and showcases every talent in every stream. It also marks an essential shift: guidance is built up throughout the pupil's journey rather than being a question asked only at the end of it. By enhancing the status of qualifying education and placing guidance at the heart of the journey, this reform affirms a positive vision of school, in which no choice is felt as a demotion or a default option, but rather as an informed choice for one's future.
From the first to the third year of secondary school, each stage will help pupils find their path, with confidence and without confining them to a single track.