At the 1 May congress, the Mouvement Réformateur devoted a specific panel to education, giving the floor to the real actors on the ground: pupils, students and teachers. Facing them, Stéphanie Cortisse, MP for the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, presented the MR's concrete and ambitious answers to improve our school, reforming seriously and without dogmatism.
On the question of special education, the MP recalled that there is no question of abolishing it. What matters is ensuring every pupil is in the right place. Too many children today are directed towards special education for the wrong reasons, particularly socio-economic ones. The MR therefore intends to reform the guidance process to make it fairer and stricter.
At the same time, the aim is to better support mainstream teachers facing increasingly complex classes, make territorial hubs more effective, develop inclusive classes for children with autism, and improve school transport to reduce journey times.
On language learning, the Wallonia-Brussels Federation is structurally behind. The MR is acting: from now on, the first modern language is taught from the 3rd year of primary school, and national languages (Dutch or German) will be gradually generalised as first languages from 2027. The second modern language, such as English, will be brought forward to the 2nd year of secondary school. The Government is also working to resolve the shortage of language teachers by valuing second careers and encouraging exchanges between Communities. The MR also wants to further develop immersion teaching from nursery school onwards.
Regarding the common core curriculum, the MR takes a critical stance. This reform, decided without clear consensus, is raising many concerns on the ground. That is why Minister Glatigny decided to put the work on hold pending a full assessment. A retreat with education stakeholders is planned for mid-May to re-examine this reform in light of its real impact on school drop-out rates, school organisation and teachers' futures. The MR advocates for a more guidance-oriented 3rd year of secondary school and stronger support for pupils facing serious difficulties.
The teaching profession must also be upgraded. Today, permanent appointment no longer appeals, and many young teachers live in precarious conditions. The MR proposes introducing permanent contracts from the very start of the career, for greater stability. But upgrading the profession also means respect. The MP announced the launch of a teacher respect barometer and a social contract involving parents, pupils and school management. Too often, negative or anxiety-inducing discourse, sometimes spread by certain unions, harms the image of the school. The MR instead chooses to adopt a constructive and appreciative discourse on education.
Finally, the MR wants to reconnect political decisions with the reality on the ground. Panels of teachers are already consulted regularly. An advisory committee of school management has been created. And at the upcoming retreat, around a hundred people, from both institutions and the field, will come together to build the school of tomorrow together. The Mouvement Réformateur remains attentive to concrete proposals from the ground, such as the idea of organising major education conferences using digital tools.
One final important measure: the launch in 2026 of the CLÉ test (Calculating, Reading, Writing) for all pupils at the start of the 4th year of primary school. This diagnostic, non-certifying test will make it possible to quickly identify difficulties and offer targeted remedial support. This strengthening of basic learning reflects a determination to break with levelling down and raise standards in schools.
Through this panel, the MR reaffirmed its direction: listening to the ground, taking responsibility, and carrying out useful reforms to improve the quality of education, with a single goal in mind: giving every pupil the keys to their success.