LEGAL SYSTEM

The decree of the 24 July 1997 concerns compulsory education in both mainstream and special schools. It defines the main aims of the elementary and secondary school and organises the structures to achieve them.  For present and future teachers and also for the pupils and their parents, these aims are available to read in all schools, the psycho-medical-social service and public libraries. To some extent the decree of the 3rd March 2004 organised special education.

The general aims
The French community of Belgium pursues simultaneously and without hierarchy the following aims:
- promote self confidence and personal development in each pupil
- give all pupils the appropriate knowledge and help, enabling them to acquire competences that will give them the ability to continue learning and to take an active part in the economical, social and cultural life surrounding them
- prepare all pupils to be responsible citizens, able to contribute to the development of a democratic, interdependent, pluralist and open international society
- ensure that all pupils receive the same chance of social emancipation.

The particular aims
Pre-school education pursues all of the general aims and aims in particular:
- to increase the awareness of the pupil regarding their own potentialities and assisting the pupil to be able to express themselves  through creative activities
- to increase socialisation
- to increase cognitive, social, emotional and psycho motor functional knowledge
- to detect difficulties or disabilities and to ensure the necessary assistance.

Primary education pursues all of the general aims and aims in particular:
- to give priority to reading, the use of senses (as apposed to technology), writing and lessons in communication
- to overcome the basic tools of mathematics allowing the solution of problem situations
- to encourage the pupil to achieve the general aims of compulsory education in all educational activities.