Recent developments in Belgium (French speaking)
The question of literacy is one of the most important issues for the French-speaking Belgian community. In Belgium literacy for adults is fragmented and exists within the frameworks of a number of policies (social integration, education, labour, culture, etc.), it is considered by many different governmental structures at many different several levels (this is because Belgium has one state, and five federal governments, in addition to the European Commission) and is also coordinated by a steering committee. As a result, it is challenging to draw up a representative picture of the state of adult education and its new developments in Belgium in general. On one hand, the fragmentation of the field brings positive effects: it is able to address the diversity of needs that range from region to region, from organisation to organisation. It also brings together different sources of funding and ensures the sustainability of actions. On the other hand, however, the fragmentation creates an overweight administrative burden and prevents the creation of comprehensive strategies.
Due to the fragmented structure of the Belgian administrative bodies, the policies in education also vary from region to region, which makes it difficult to construct an understanding of the sector as a whole. EAEA member, Lire et écrire, is focusing specifically on literacy issues in French-speaking Belgian communities.