The use of multiple indicators of disadvantage to fund Flemish schools. Gaby Hostens OECD meeting October

1.Context -Freedom of education for providers and parents ( = free choice) -No equal financial treatment of schools -State funding for. Salaries of teaching staff and non-teaching educational staff. Lump sum for operating expenses of schools based on numbers, level of education, field of study, special schools, etc.. School infrastructure. Scholarships )

+ limited number of additional staff for schools that cross a threshold of disadvantage ( measured by educational attainment of mother, living exclusively of welfare or unemployment benefits, Roma children and travellers, children who don’t live their parents) + home language in combination with another indicator

2.Policy priorities of new government in Equal treatment of all students and schools in the same situation -Use of school indicators and indicators of socio-ecomomic background of students for staffing of schools and allocation of operating expenses -Capping parental contributions to schools No school fees but not free of charge! In a context of considerable additional budgetary resources.

3.Indicators of socio-economic background Objective :capture lack of social, cultural and economic capital of students and their families. Not one single indicator but 4 indicators.

- Educational attainment of mother Mother : greatest impact on education of children Less than diploma of secundary education - Language spoken at home most of the time Dutch vs other language

- Family income Having a means-tested scholarship or not - Living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood Criterion : percentage of students who have already repeated twice at the age of 15! Many more repeaters in inner cities.

4.About the indicators - Scholarships Until now : 17% of students in secondary education Now : 25% of students in compulsory education( pre-primary, primary and secondary education) - Disadvantaged neighbourhood : Target : 25% of students - Language spoken at home : Dutch But French is seldom a criterion of disadvantage.

5.Collection of data - Database of department for education ( disadvantaged neighbourhood and scholarships) - Questionnaire for parents ( language spoken at home and educational attainment of mother) Ambition : build a database of diplomas and languages spoken at home.

6.Basic criteria for allocation of money based on socio-economic indicators - 14% of total budget in pre-primary and primary education allocated on the basis of these indicators : 3,5% for each of them. 14% will gradually rise to 15,5 %. - 10% of total budget for secondary schools rising to 11%. - Equal treatment of every indicator, except disadvantaged neighbourhood in secondary education - Every indicator generates money!

7.Future developments Development of a staffing mechanism based on the same indicators.