Truants must repay study grants

15 June 2007

BRUSSELS – Parents will be required to repay the study grant received from the education ministry for their child if the child is truant more than 30 half days in a school year.

This measure will come into effect for secondary education from 1 September.

There are no financial consequences during the first year in which truancy problems take place. Starting from the following year however parents will indeed be required to repay government assistance if their child continues to cut school. This should put pressure on parents eligible for the grant to keep an eye on their children.

Study grants will also be introduced in primary education and the same measure will take effect from 1 September 2008.

Subject: Belgian news