450 children in Brussels and Flanders receive VUB-ALEF certificate for Arabic classes

Last week, 350 children in Brussels and 100 in Flanders were presented with the VUB-ALEF certificate for completing Arabic language classes. The initiative was supported by a new curriculum using adapted teaching materials developed by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). Since 2016, VUB and the GO! Scholengroep Brussel have been organising after-school Arabic language classes for children aged six to 15 via ALEF. The programme is open to children whose native language is Arabic, as well as those who want to learn. Since the beginning of the school year, pupils have had weekly lessons on Wednesday afternoons, Saturdays or Sundays, at three locations: atheneum GO! for business in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, GO! Atheneum in Anderlecht and GO! Atheneum E Hiel in Schaarbeek, where VUB and GO! Scholengroep Brussel organised a graduation ceremony. On Sunday, students who attended the programme in Schaerbeek received their diplomas from Sven Gatz, the Brussels minister of Dutch-Language Education and Multilingualism, VUB rector Jan Danckaert, Raf Provost of GO! Scholengroep and school director Piet Van De Velde. On Wednesday and Saturday, it was the turn of students from the other two locations.