Needs Analysis in Belgium's Flemish Community

Confronted with a growing need for educational buildings and a significant lack of funds, Belgium’s Flemish Community carried out an inquiry into building needs at all levels of education. This article concentrates on the methodology used for the inquiry, the findings and the consequences for Flemish educational building policy. The inquiry was commissioned by the Board of Directors of the Dienst voor Infrastructuurwerken van het Gesubsidieerd Onderwijs (DIGO-- Subsidised Education, Infrastructure Works Department) and took place from June 1995 to late 1997. DIGO is a government agency that subsidises the purchase, construction and renovation of buildings for municipal, provincial and private institutions. It grants subsidies of up to 60 % of total construction costs for primary education and 70 % for secondary and higher education; the work must not exceed the maximum legal standards for educational buildings. Demand for state aid in financing educational infrastructure has been increasing for some years, and the funds available-- US$90.6 million per year-- are far from sufficient. A waiting list has accrued, which in March 1998, represented a total of $394 million in construction projects. The aim of the inquiry was fourfold: to examine the degree to which existing buildings meet present educational needs; to recognise the needs that are not met; to provide an estimate of the funds necessary to accommodate those needs; to develop a needs-driven policy for administering building subsidies and planning future investments. Historical perspective Many of the educational buildings in use today in the Flemish community were built according to now outdated ideas about teaching methods, safety, hygiene and architecture and need to be adapted to current educational policy and practice. The large majority of the buildings date from before 1980, and 13 % from before 1920.