French Community Sets Under-12 Enrolment Fee for Part-Time Arts Education (Belgium, June 2026)
The Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles issued the 2026-2027 rentrée circular for part-time arts education. The change removes the previous under-12 fee exemption and applies an enrolment fee to younger pupils.
Source: Gallilex - Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Circulaire 9755
The Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles issued the 2026-2027 rentrée circular for part-time arts education. The change removes the previous under-12 fee exemption and applies an enrolment fee to younger pupils.
What Changed?
Students under 12 in ESAHR, the part-time arts education system, are brought into the enrolment-fee system from the 2026 rentrée. The fee is aligned with the amount already applied to pupils aged 12 to 17, while exemption categories remain available.
Old System vs New System
Students under 12 in ESAHR benefited from an exemption from the enrolment fee.
From the 2026-2027 school year, under-12 students are subject to the ESAHR enrolment fee, with stated exemptions still applying for eligible families or situations.
Who Is Affected?
Student Impact
Young pupils enrolling in part-time arts education may face a fee where no fee previously applied, unless an exemption applies.
Parent / Family Impact
Parents of under-12 pupils should check fee liability and exemption conditions before enrolment.
School / Institution Impact
Academies must apply the updated fee rule and manage exemption requests under the rentrée circular.
Teacher / Staff Impact
No direct teacher-specific operational change was identified, although academy budgets and enrolment patterns may be affected.
Key Dates
- 2026-06-26: ESAHR rentrée circular issued
- 2026-09-01: 2026-2027 school year implementation begins.
What To Do
- Families should check exemption rules and payment requirements before completing ESAHR enrolment.
What To Watch Next
Academies may issue local enrolment instructions and fee-payment timelines for the 2026-2027 year.
Global Context
The change is useful for comparison of fee policy because it adjusts access costs in publicly organised part-time arts education.
Source Record
Source type: Circular
Source name: Gallilex - Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Circulaire 9755