Why the English education system is so envied in Belgium
‘Just compare this essay by one of our students to the essay of a peer from Birmingham.’ A theatre packed full of teachers was listening to the education expert Tim Surma. He was touring Flanders, the Dutch-speaking region of Belgium, with his Thomas More Expertise Centre which supports teachers in providing better lessons and managing their classes more effectively. I was reprimanded by pedagogical advisors for expecting students to learn a timeline with dates and facts Twenty-five years ago, Flanders was at the top of the world in terms of education. Our children were the best readers and the best at maths. As a region with little else to offer the world besides great art, beer and chocolate, we were quite proud of our ‘little grey cells’.
