What does Sylvie Michel’s arrival mean for Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice in Tournai?

Michel was already a school leader in Tournai. The official directory of SeGEC, the secretariat representing French-speaking Catholic education, identified her as director of the Institut libre des Métiers, a specialised school in the city. A June 2025 recruitment document from that institution also named her as its director and contact person. That experience indicates familiarity with school administration and Tournai’s education networks, but it would be premature to infer a specific agenda for Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice without a statement from Michel or the school.

Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice is a French-speaking, Catholic, subsidised free school in the Faubourg Saint-Martin area. Its own presentation describes an institution with more than a century of local history. The school says the boys’ school and École de la Sainte Famille formally merged in 1970 to create the mixed Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice school. Today it provides both maternelle and primaire education on one site and teaches English and Dutch, according to its published staff information.

For newcomers to Belgium, “free” in enseignement libre does not mean a private international school or necessarily tuition-free in every practical respect. It identifies a school network run by a non-government organising authority and subsidised by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles

Organisation

Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles

French Community authority whose education system governs the school.

Why it matters

French Community authority whose education system governs the school.

About

In Belgium, the French Community refers to one of the three constituent constitutional linguistic communities. Since 2011, the French minority has used the name Wallonia-Brussels Federation, which is controversial because its name in the Belgian Constitution has not changed and because it is seen as a political statement. The name "French Community" refers to the French language and not to France.

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Wallonia’s official portal says enrolment in a nursery or primary school should normally be completed no later than the last working day before the school year begins. Families arriving after that point should nevertheless contact schools promptly rather than assume that admission is impossible. Availability, the child’s admission conditions and the timing of the request all matter.

Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice publishes the telephone number 069 22 84 58 and an online contact form for visits and enrolment enquiries. The City of Tournai and the Office de la Naissance et de l’Enfance also list after-school provision at Rue Doublet 18. Parents should ask separately about a classroom place, garderie, meals and any waiting arrangements because one service does not automatically guarantee another.

A useful first conversation covers four points: whether a place exists in the relevant year; which identity, residence and previous-school documents are required; the applicable timetable and costs; and what language or learning support is available. Families moving from Flanders should remember that the governing education system changes from the Flemish Community to the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. Families arriving from abroad should provide previous school records where possible, ideally with a French translation, while asking the school whether any further administrative assessment is needed.

If an organised or subsidised school cannot accept a child, Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles guidance says its management must provide an attestation de demande d’inscription explaining the refusal and identifying the service that can help find another place. Capacity is one permitted reason for refusal. Parents should retain that document and contact the relevant enrolment commission or the Direction générale de l’enseignement obligatoire rather than relying on an oral refusal alone.

For the school community, continuity will matter as much as a new director’s plans. Published school information describes fixed rhythms including classes beginning at 08:30 and ending at 15:20, as well as meal, garderie and end-of-day arrangements. Those details should still be checked against the current school calendar and communications, particularly during a leadership handover.

The appointment also arrives amid a difficult policy climate for French-speaking education. In June, regional broadcaster notélé reported that school leaders in the Tournai area were seeking clearer information about reforms and their effects on staffing, pupils and classes. That debate is broader than Michel’s appointment, and no published evidence links her selection to a particular position on those reforms. It nevertheless forms part of the administrative environment she inherits.

Parents primarily need reliable communication during the transition. At the time of research, the school website’s team page still displayed the previous director, while press reports and the recruitment timetable indicated that Michel had assumed the role. Such a lag is unsurprising around a handover, but it makes direct confirmation prudent for time-sensitive matters.

The next meaningful information should come from Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice or its organising authority: an updated staff page, a formal introduction and any stated priorities for the school year. Until then, Michel’s appointment is confirmed, while her programme, the precise terms of the permanent transition and any operational changes remain unknown.