We call on the Board of Governors of the European Schools to solve the extreme overcrowding at the Woluwe site of the European School Brussels 2 Woluwe-Evere (EEB 2) by making the Evere site of EEB 2 a fully-fledged European school with more than 4 language sections. By moving sufficient numbers of nursery and primary pupils from Woluwe to Evere more capacities would be available at the Woluwe site.

The Woluwe site of EEB2 suffers from the highest level of overcrowding of all the European Schools in Brussels. The Woluwe site has a capacity of 1,100 secondary pupils, but as of 26 September 2022 2,096 secondary pupils are squeezed together in this site. This makes a surplus of 996 pupils and an overcrowding of a staggering 91% in the secondary!

On the contrary, the Evere site of EEB 2 has by far not reached its full capacity of 1,500 nursery and primary pupils: as of 26 September 2022, only 495 pupils attend this site. This is the lowest use rate of all Brussels European Schools.

In addition, the Evere site has only 4 language sections. The French-speaking pupils make up 74% in Evere, while it is on average below 37% across all European schools in Brussels.

The severe overcrowding at the Woluwe site has negative effects on the quality of the education and the well-being of students, teachers and other staff. It results in classes being held in the offices of the school management, lack of adequate space to conduct exams, heavily overcrowded corridors, among others.

Past statistics and future estimations show that overcrowding at the Woluwe site worsens every year by approximately 100 pupils. The proposed amendment to the current concept of granting siblings a place in the same school would divert only 70 pupils from Woluwe to Evere, hence the overcrowding would continue to grow, without any real improvement of the existing situation.

The 5th European school in Neder-Over-Heembeek will not open before 1 September 2028.

Until then, the secondary students of the Woluwe site should not be left in the current situation of extreme overcrowding when a solution is obvious and close at hand: the transfer of nursery and primary pupils from Woluwe to Evere.

This solution creates positive effects for the secondary students of the Woluwe site, and has as well positive effects on the development of the Evere site into a full nursery and primary section of EEB 2 with several fully operational language sections and thus an increase in language diversity and positive effects for after school activities.

For the good of current and prospective students of both sites of the European School Brussels 2 Woluwe-Evere, the nursery and primary cycles must be exclusively installed at the Evere site while the Woluwe site will only host the secondary cycle. To have immediate relief of the overcrowding in Woluwe with all its negative effects, this measure must include the transfer of sufficient numbers of nursery and primary pupils from Woluwe to Evere.

Please sign this petition to show that you support the solution to install the maternelle and primary cycles of the EEB II at the Evere site to grant more space to the EEB II secondary cycle in Woluwe.

UPDATE 2 December '22: The petition and its outcome was forwarded to the Board of Governors in time for their December meeting. The petition will remain open, so you can continue to sign and share it.