The use of multiple indicators of disadvantage to fund Flemish schools.

1. The use of multiple indicators of disadvantage to fund Flemish schools. Gaby Hostens OECD meeting 13-14 October

2. 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 • )

3. + 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

4. Policy priorities of new government in 2004 • - 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.

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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!

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