Central

 The central government plays a small role in the education sector with responsibilities including:

• Setting beginning and end of compulsory education;
• The regulation of minimum conditions for diploma;
• Determining trade union status and pension schemes for teachers.

Regional

Communities
Communities are primarily responsible for education in Belgium. There are few differences between the communities, save an emphasis on different languages.

General education and training is a major part of the competency of the Communities, which they apply to linguistically defined areas. Their responsibilities include:

• Schools owned by the communities;
• Subsidies for other schools;
• Financing;
• General guidelines;
• School transport;
• Grants for students.
   

Local ​

Provinces/Municipalities
Provinces and Municipalities take initiatives within their general competency for regulating local affairs as regards to the general training policy, including:

• The participation in policy implementation according to the rules and norms set by the federal level and the Communities;
• Education, as for example the running of general training infrastructure;
• Management of subsidised public schools

50% of provincial expenditure is related to General Training Policy and 28% of municipal expenditure is related to General Training Policy.

Responsible ministries/bodies

German Community Department of Education

The French Speaking Community Ministry of Education

Sources

Constitution of Belgium (Constitution belge texte coordonné du 17 février 1994). In particular Art. 127 and 130

PERFAR, Educational Policies : Belgium, 2014