Croissance démographique bruxelloise et inégalité d’accès à l’école maternelle

What is the social equality of access to kindergarten, the main means of entry into the education system? In Brussels, population growth combined with the social and economic divide threaten equal access to kindergarten. The demand for pre-school education starts at age 2 ½ and is widespread in the...

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Main Author: Perrine Humblet
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Université Saint-Louis Bruxelles 2011-09-01
Series:Brussels Studies
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journals.openedition.org/brussels/1041
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author Perrine Humblet
author_facet Perrine Humblet
author_sort Perrine Humblet
collection DOAJ
description What is the social equality of access to kindergarten, the main means of entry into the education system? In Brussels, population growth combined with the social and economic divide threaten equal access to kindergarten. The demand for pre-school education starts at age 2 ½ and is widespread in the region, while the number of children has increased considerably, especially in the poorest neighbourhoods. The study presents an analysis of enrolment statistics per municipality and shows that in many areas, there is a widespread saturation of kindergartens despite the opening of more than 300 additional classes since 2000‑2001. This situation has led the organising authorities to enact new enrolment regulations, mainly for the first year of kindergarten and for the welcoming class. An exploratory qualitative survey shows that these regulations are not neutral with respect to the social and cultural conditions of families. They constitute the basis of an unfair system of access to kindergarten at the expense of families whose children would benefit most from starting school in kindergarten. They also have a negative impact on access to nurseries by delaying the age of access to kindergarten until age 3 and up.
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spelling doaj.art-fc20850776e04557be0fac0305d594e02022-12-21T19:25:31ZengUniversité Saint-Louis BruxellesBrussels Studies2031-02932011-09-0110.4000/brussels.1041Croissance démographique bruxelloise et inégalité d’accès à l’école maternellePerrine HumbletWhat is the social equality of access to kindergarten, the main means of entry into the education system? In Brussels, population growth combined with the social and economic divide threaten equal access to kindergarten. The demand for pre-school education starts at age 2 ½ and is widespread in the region, while the number of children has increased considerably, especially in the poorest neighbourhoods. The study presents an analysis of enrolment statistics per municipality and shows that in many areas, there is a widespread saturation of kindergartens despite the opening of more than 300 additional classes since 2000‑2001. This situation has led the organising authorities to enact new enrolment regulations, mainly for the first year of kindergarten and for the welcoming class. An exploratory qualitative survey shows that these regulations are not neutral with respect to the social and cultural conditions of families. They constitute the basis of an unfair system of access to kindergarten at the expense of families whose children would benefit most from starting school in kindergarten. They also have a negative impact on access to nurseries by delaying the age of access to kindergarten until age 3 and up.http://journals.openedition.org/brussels/1041boom démographiqueenseignementinégalités sociales
spellingShingle Perrine Humblet
Croissance démographique bruxelloise et inégalité d’accès à l’école maternelle
Brussels Studies
boom démographique
enseignement
inégalités sociales
title Croissance démographique bruxelloise et inégalité d’accès à l’école maternelle
title_full Croissance démographique bruxelloise et inégalité d’accès à l’école maternelle
title_fullStr Croissance démographique bruxelloise et inégalité d’accès à l’école maternelle
title_full_unstemmed Croissance démographique bruxelloise et inégalité d’accès à l’école maternelle
title_short Croissance démographique bruxelloise et inégalité d’accès à l’école maternelle
title_sort croissance demographique bruxelloise et inegalite d acces a l ecole maternelle
topic boom démographique
enseignement
inégalités sociales
url http://journals.openedition.org/brussels/1041
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