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The District of North Belgium
By: Br. Pieter Heyvaert
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 HISTORY: During the French Revolution a certain number of French Brothers transferred to Belgium. In 1791, the first of these from Maréville Nancy founded a primary school at St Hubert which closed in 1818. In the meantime, other foundations were made: Dinant (1816), Namur (1818), Liège (1819) and Tournai (1821). Under the Dutch administration, these primary schools were closed in 1826 by Willem I, but after the Belgian Revolution (1830), it became possible to reopen them. In 1832, a first primary school of St Georges was opened in Brussels. Subsequently, numerous others were opened all over the country.
In 1836, the direction of the Teaching Training College at Namur was handed over to the Brothers. In 1841, this college was transferred to Malonne where, in that same year, the Brothers began working in secondary education (later called "modern humanities"). A second college opened in 1844 at Carlsbourg which, in 1845, also began to offer secondary education. There followed numerous other foundations: Bazel Sint Joris (1852), Gent St Amand (1863), St Trond (1885), St Jans Molenbeek (1896), Bilzen (1897), Anvers (1904), Courtrai (1907), Ekeren (1908). With the foundation in Gand in 1862 of the first St Luc school, the Brothers began their involvement with technical education in our country. Other schools were founded on the model of St Luc Gand: Tournai (1878), Liège (1880), Bruxelles Schaarbeek (1882), Bruxelles St Gilles (1904). In 1877, an agricultural school was opened in Carlsbourg and, 1888, a horticultural school. This school was the model for the agricultural courses given at St Trond (1898) which, in 1923, became the present Tuinbouwschool O.L. Vrouw (Our Lady Horticultural School).
In 1889, the Brothers opened a training college at Louvain for the training of young Brothers. After their studies there, the Brothers could go on to do their university studies in the same city. The Flemish Brothers opened a training college for their young Brothers at Roulers. In 1937, it was transferred to Bokrijk. In 1922, the Brothers opened in Brussels (Terre Neuve) a training college for primary and secondary Flemish and French-speaking teachers.
 In 1893, the District of Belgium was split into two parts:
- the District of South Belgium, covering the dioceses of Namur, Liège, (including Limbourg) and Tournai;
- the District of North Belgium covering the dioceses of Malines, Gand and Bruges.
In 1897, the Brothers of North Belgium bought the property of the former abbey of St Wivine at Grand Bigard (Groot Bijgaarden) and set up there a novitiate and a retirement home for the old Brothers. In 1936, the Walloon Brothers moved their provincialate from Bokrijk (Genk) to Ciney. The Brothers of North Belgium moved their houses of formation from Roulers (scholasticate) and Lembecq (junior novitiate) to Bokrijk.
At the request of King Leopold II, a first contingent of missionary Brothers left for the Belgium Congo where they took over the school complex at Boma, a reformatory school for young delinquents run up till then by the Scheut Fathers. The Brothers turned it into a very famous educational centre for young Congolese. Other foundations would follow not only in Congo but also in Rwanda.
With the decrease in the number of Brothers, practically speaking, there have been hardly any Brothers teaching since 1969. Retired Brothers still help out in their schools, in the parish, and as volunteers doing social or charitable work. With their lay collaborators they play an active part in the oversight of their schools. However, in the not too distant future, these schools will be taken over by lay people. To help face the future, the Vlaams Lasalliaans Perspectief, the VLP, (the Lasallian Flemish Future) has been formed.
 VLAAMS LASALLIAANS PERSPECTIEF (VLP)
(Lasallian Flemish Future)
At a time when vocations continue to decrease and the government pursues a policy of new-liberalism in line with the rest of Europe, Brothers and lay people joined forces to administer schools. They drew up and proceeded to implement a daring joint plan in view of the future transfer of the schools to the lay partners. Lay partners and collaborators took over the oversight, called "Vlaams Lasalliaans Perspectief" of the schools. This policy began 15 years ago.
The VLP cares for 14 secondary and 19 primary schools. The secondary schools offer general education, industrial and commercial technical courses and training in the plastic arts. More than 14,000 pupils are taught there today. There are evening classes for young people and adults. Because of the restructuring of secondary education, we can no longer call our former secondary schools "Lasallian". In addition to the schools, there are 12 works and centres associated with the Lasallian movement. The Brothers offer as far as they can their logistic, financial, pedagogical and spiritual support, but it is clear that collaborators have assumed their responsibilities and, like heirs, ensure continuity and renewal.
The VLP has created also a legal and executive body which respects and supports the independence of each of the associated bodies. Through the development of a new pedagogical and spiritual lifestyle, which makes colleagues, administrators, accompaniers, teachers, pupils, students and parents more conscious today of life, collaboration and responsibility, we are building together this new foundation as a link between the past and the present. This juridical, organic and pedagogical body which includes the whole District is constantly stimulated by the think tank, by the Lasallian Pedagogical Approach Commission, by numerous working parties, by annual sessions and evaluation days, and by youth support groups.
 The headquarters for all this is at Groot Bijgaarden in the Study Centre and in the Lasallian Centre. By means of publications, the fruit of much experience, such as a "Vocabulary of the Lasallian Conduct of Schools", "Towards a Participatory Conduct of Schools", and others; as well as by full collaboration with the initiatives originating in the Centre of the Institute in Rome, and with the headquarters of Catholic non-State Education in Flanders (Belgium), and with other teaching congregations in the region, we wish to be a sign for the Christian community as a whole, that we wish to continue to witness to the values of a Lasallian educational mission statement.
To contact us:
Consult our site: http://users.skynet.be/VLP.VLAANDEREN
Send an email to: vlp.studiecentrum@skynet.be
or to Br Stan Decock: standecock@belgacom.net |
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