New Dutch-language school on the way in the Pentagon | Brussels
BrusselsOn Wednesday, a new Dutch-language school project was presented in the presence of Brussels minister Sven Gatz. It is being built on the Oratoriënberg, on a former Selor selection site. The work is scheduled to be completed by January 2023.
The school will combine a nursery, primary and secondary school. In total there is a capacity for 520 students. They will eventually come from the Schaerbeek school ‘Pistache’. “The infrastructure of that school is in fact not equipped for the number of students that are currently present,” says the Brussels minister Sven Gatz (Open VLD), competent within the VGC for Education and School Construction. “That is why the students will eventually move here.”
“The school is a great asset to Brussels,” explains Gatz. “The number of students who want to enroll in Dutch-language education every year, and unfortunately not everyone manages to get a place. An extra school can help meet that need.” The focus will be on multilingualism. “Multilingualism is an important aspect in a city like Brussels. That is why, in addition to Dutch, we will also focus on French and English,” the minister said.
Mixed urban project
The construction of the school is part of a mixed urban project, focused on the development site. “We want to diversify the administrative character of the neighborhood a bit more”, says Frederik Wuyts of project leader Immobel. “The sports hall will also be accessible to local residents. In addition to the school, about 400 residential units will also be provided.”
In addition, space will also be provided for commercial businesses and a green passage will be created. “We are also going to build Spanish steps, wide stairs that you can sit on, on Esplanadeplein. Now there is a wall separating high and low Brussels. We will get rid of those. In this way we ensure a better connection between different city districts,” explains Wuyts.
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