Does your child have priority when applying or registering in a Dutch-language school in Brussels? On this page you will find information about the priority.
What does priority mean?
If your child has priority, your child will come first in the allocation of available places. You can also apply for a place for your child without priority. In that case, you also have a chance of getting a place. However, your child will only get a place after children with priority have been assigned a place.
There are various types of priority. Your child may qualify for several types of priority at the same time. However, there are some types of priority that cannot be combined.
You can find all information further on this page.
Please note:
- You only have priority during certain periods. Check for your specific level of education when your priority group should apply for a place or register.
- Submit the right documents in time. Otherwise, you will no longer have priority.
- How are places assigned, and who gets first priority? More information on how places are assigned.
Siblings and children of staff
Where does this priority apply?
- nursery and primary education
- 1st year A and B of secondary education
- special elementary education
- special secondary education
Who has priority?
First, siblings who are also children of staff have priority, then other siblings, and finally other children of staff.
Siblings
Do you already have a child in a Dutch-speaking school in Brussels and do you want to register a sibling in the same school? Then you have priority at that school.
This applies to:
- brothers and sisters (sharing the same parents) living at the same address or not
- half-brothers and half-sisters (having one shared parent) living at the same address or not
- children who live at the same address but do not have a common parent or parents
Children of school staff
Do you work at a Dutch-speaking school in Brussels? Then you have priority if you register your child in the school where you work. You qualify for this priority if you have a contract of more than 104 days.
What documents?
To prove your priority, you need the national identification number of:
- the sibling who already attends the school
- and/or of the staff member of the school
Bring the school a family composition certificate and/or the (kids-)ID of the sibling who already attends the school.
How to register?
The procedure for siblings and children of staff differs depending on the level of education:
- In nursery and primary education: siblings and children of staff apply for a place before all other children. Only after the application they can effectively register.
- In the 1st year of secondary school and special secondary education (with application): siblings and children of staff apply for a place online, together with all other children. They do have priority over the other children in the allocation of places. Please note: did your child obtain a place at a higher choice school, where you do not have priority? Then you no longer have priority. For example: your first and second choice of school are ones where you do not have priority as a sibling or child of staff. Your third choice is a school where you do have this priority. After the applications, your child will be placed in the second school. Your child will then be on the waiting list for the first school, but your application will lapse in your third choice of school, even if you had priority when applying there. In other words, priority as a sibling or child of staff does not automatically give you a place at the school where you have priority.
- In special elementary education and special secondary education (without application): siblings and children of staff register before all other children.
More information about the registration procedure:
Priority for pupils with a Dutch-speaking parent
Where does this priority apply?
- nursery and primary education (65% of the capacity)
- 1st year A and B of secondary education (65% of the capacity)
- 2nd to 7th years of secondary education (55% of the capacity)
- special elementary education (55% of the capacity)
- special secondary education (55% of the capacity)
Who has priority?
Pupils with at least 1 parent who is sufficiently proficient in Dutch. They are given priority for 65% of the total number of places in nursery, primary and the 1st year of secondary education.
In the higher years of secondary education and in special elementary and secondary education, these pupils have priority for 55% of the places.
What documents?
To prove that you as a parent speak enough Dutch, you need two types of documents:
- Proof of your knowledge of Dutch. This can be provided through one of the following documents:
- a Dutch-language diploma of at least secondary education
- a Dutch-language certificate of the second year of the third stage of secondary education or an equivalent Dutch-language study certificate
- proof that the parent has at least a level B2 in Dutch: a certificate of study from a school or a level certificate from Huis van het Nederlands (Dutch Language House)
- a SELOR certificate of 'sufficient knowledge' of Dutch, or higher
- proof that the parent has regularly attended Dutch-language primary and secondary education for 9 years (a certificate from the schools)
- Proof of the relationship between the parent and the pupil to whom the application relates, via one of these documents:
- a copy of the Kids-ID (front with the names of the parents)
- or a copy of the birth certificate
- or a family composition certificate (excerpt from the population, aliens or waiting registers)
How to register?
The procedure for pupils with at least one Dutch-speaking parent differs by educational level:
- In nursery and primary education and in special education (with an application procedure): these pupils apply for a place, together with all other children. They do have priority in the allocation of places.
- In the 1st year A and B of secondary education: these pupils apply together with all other children, but have priority in the allocation of places. Please note: you cannot combine the priority for a Dutch-speaking parent with the priority for Dutch-language elementary education. More information about possible combinations of types of priority.
- In the higher years of secondary education and in special education (without an application procedure): these pupils must register during the registration period in which they have priority. After that, they no longer have priority.
More information about the registration procedure:
Priority for Dutch-language elementary education
Where does this priority apply?
This priority only applies to the 1st year of secondary education.
Who has priority?
Pupils who have always attended classes in a Dutch-language elementary school in Flanders or Brussels from the start of compulsory education are given priority for 15% of the places. More information about compulsory education (in Dutch).
What documents?
You do not need any documents to prove this priority. LOP Brussel Secundair Onderwijs requests this information from the Flemish government for verification purposes.
How to register?
In the 1st year A and B of secondary education, you apply for a place for your child during the application period. In the application, you indicate whether you belong to the priority group.
Please note: you cannot combine the priority for Dutch-language elementary education with the priority for a Dutch-speaking parent. More information about possible combinations of types of priority.
Learn more about the registration procedure:
Priority for GOK or non-GOK
Where does this priority apply?
- nursery and primary education
- 1st year A and B of secondary education
Who has priority?
GOK stands for 'gelijke onderwijskansen' (equal educational opportunities). In some schools, there is priority for 'GOK pupils'. In other schools, there is priority for 'non-GOK pupils'.
Your child is a ‘GOK pupil’ if
- the mother does not have a certificate of secondary education
- or the family received a school allowance in 2022-2023 or 2023-2024
Your child is a ‘non-GOK pupil’ if
- the mother has at least a certificate of secondary education
- and the family didn’t receive a school allowance in d 2022-2023 and 2023-2024
Please note: your child is either a 'GOK-pupil' or a 'non-GOK-pupil'. Thus, you cannot combine GOK and non-GOK priority in your application. More information about possible combinations of types of priority.
Where do you have priority?
There is priority for 'GOK pupils' in schools where there are fewer GOK pupils than average in Dutch-speaking education in Brussels. GOK pupils have priority for 20% of the capacity. Non-GOK pupils do not have priority here.
There is priority for 'non-GOK pupils' in schools where there are more GOK pupils than average in Dutch-speaking education in Brussels. Non-GOK pupils have priority for 20% of the capacity. GOK pupils do not have priority here.
Would you like to know if there is priority for GOK or non-GOK pupils in the schools you want to apply to? In the overview of available places, you can see how many available places there are for your priority group (GOK or non-GOK).
What documents?
You need these documents to get the priority:
- GOK pupil: one of these documents:
- proof that the family received a school allowance ('Groeipakket') in the 2022-2023 school year or in the 2023-2024 school year
- a declaration of honour by the mother that she does not have a certificate of secondary education, a certificate of study from the 6th year of vocational secondary education, or an equivalent certificate of study
- Non-GOK pupil: you do not need any documents.
How to register?
Both in nursery and primary education and in the 1st year A and B of secondary education, you apply for a place for your child during the application period. In the application, you indicate whether you belong to the priority group GOK or the priority group non-GOK. You can only be eligible for one of the two priority groups GOK (equal educational opportunity) and non-GOK (non-equal educational opportunity).
More information about the registration procedure:
Campus priority for special education
Where does this priority apply?
This priority only applies to the 1st year of special secondary education.
Who has priority?
Does your child already attend special elementary education? And would you like to register them in special secondary education next school year, in the same campus? Then you have priority, as long as there are places available.
What documents?
You do not need any documents to prove this priority.
How to register?
Pupils from the same campus must indicate that they come from the same campus when applying or registering.
- In the schools with application: these pupils apply for a place, together with all other children. They do have priority in the allocation of places.
- In the schools without application: these pupils must register during the registration period in which they have priority. After that, they no longer have priority.
Learn more about the registration procedure:
Do you qualify for several types of priority?
Your child may qualify for one type of priority or for several types of priority at the same time. Some types of priority cannot be combined. Below is an overview:
- Nursery and primary education
- 1st year A and B of secondary education
- 2nd to 7th year of secondary education
- Special elementary education
- Special secondary education
When you qualify for several types of priority, you increase your chances of getting a place.
You can also apply for a place for your child without priority. In that case, you also have a chance of getting a place. However, your child will only get a place after children with priority have been assigned a place. More information on how places are assigned
Nursery and primary education
You may qualify for several of the following types of priority at the same time:
- Siblings of pupils and children of staff
- Priority for pupils with a Dutch-speaking parent
- Priority for GOK and non-GOK pupils
The following types of priority cannot be combined:
- GOK and non-GOK: your child is either a 'GOK-pupil' or a 'non-GOK-pupil'
1st year A and B of secondary education
You may qualify for several of the following types of priority at the same time:
- Siblings of pupils and children of staff
- Priority for a Dutch-speaking parent or priority for Dutch-language elementary education
- Priority for GOK and non-GOK pupils
The following types of priority cannot be combined:
- Priority for a Dutch-speaking parent and priority for Dutch-language elementary education. Are you eligible for both types of priority relating to the Dutch language? Then you must choose one of the two in your application. If you receive notification that your chosen priority has been rejected, then you can still choose the other type of priority relating to the Dutch language. Change this in your application before the end of the application period by marking the other type of priority for the Dutch language. If you would like to change your file after this date, contact the help desk of LOP Brussel Secundair Onderwijs.
- GOK and non-GOK: your child is either a 'GOK-pupil' or a 'non-GOK-pupil'
2nd to 7th year of secondary education
In the higher years of secondary education there is only one priority:
- Priority for pupils with a Dutch-speaking parent
There is no priority for siblings and children of staff, Dutch-language elementary education, GOK or non-GOK pupils.
Special elementary education
You may qualify for several of the following types of priority at the same time:
- Siblings of pupils and children of staff
- Priority for pupils with a Dutch-speaking parent
Special secondary education
You may qualify for several of the following types of priority at the same time:
- Siblings of pupils and children of staff
- Priority for pupils with a Dutch-speaking parent
- Campus priority
