Document(s): LETTER TO THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS | CDE OPEN LETTER TO THE APEEE BOARD | APEEE RESPONSE TO CDE OPEN LETTER | STUDENT POSITION ON OVERPOPULATION

Faced with ever-growing overpopulation in the Secondary cycle of the European School of Brussels II, we as the Pupils’ Committee have been fighting the consistently delayed response of the system to the problems we continue to face. It has become clear, nevertheless, that the change we want comes from a unified front which we fail to have as a result of the Parents’ Association.

On 18 January 2023, the CdE was informed of the APEEE Board’s decision against supporting our letter to the Board of Governors. This letter referenced the decision taken in December on the future structure of the European Schools in Brussels, deemed insufficient to tackle our very much EEB2 problem: plenty of space in our new Evere site and a severely overcrowded Secondary site in Woluwe. In sum, we anticipate requesting authority being passed to our Administrative Board (CA) to propose solutions to the extraordinary situation.

Meanwhile, the conclusion of a Class Representative meeting organised by the Pupils’ Committee in February 2023 saw all 9 language sections in the Secondary cycle voicing that the decision taken by the Board of Governors was indeed insufficient and that more had to be done – that too prior to 2028.

By waiting until 2028 to shift all Nursery-Primary classes from Woluwe to Evere:

  • Overcrowding worsens in the Secondary cycle in EEB2.
  • The Evere site becomes overcrowded once the shift is completed in 2028/2029 which is specifically unfair on our Primary peers.
  • Projects to improve student well-being are put on hold/limited/abolished due to a lack of space and resources.
  • Period 0/Period 10, hybrid learning, Saturday schooling or Wednesday afternoon classes for every year group must be considered, intensifying an already challenging school week faced with high noise levels, manifestations of frustration in the corridors and more.
  • All current Nursery-Primary students would eventually face both a severely overcrowded secondary cycle and the consequences of that mentioned above.

We are no longer looking to the parents to support a small, irrelevant issue. We are looking to the parents to protect us, ensure our health and safety and take a stand in favour of student well-being on overcrowding. Therefore, in an attempt to improve the situation for all the pupils in EEB2, we asked the newly elected APEEE Board to consider our letter and to offer their support to us sending it to the Board of Governors.

As shown (see the attached APEEE response), the APEEE took note of our request and in turn took a vote in which they decided not to sign the CdE’s letter to the Board of Governors. We do not have a united front, and our Parents’ Association has highlighted that they wish to place other objectives ahead of student well-being in the face of 89.6% overpopulation in the Secondary cycle.

As former President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, once said: “Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past and present are certain to miss the future.” Unlike the Parents’ Association, the CdE and the stakeholders that support our letter, do not intend to miss the future. It’s time to safeguard the well-being of the students in EEB2 across all cycles.

All documents linked at the top of the page.