What should parents know about Tournai’s new school-respect campaign?

A common visual is to be installed at each participating school site in central Tournai and surrounding villages. Further messages, mainly posters framed as questions, are expected during the school year, with schools also relaying them on their websites and social-media accounts. The City of Tournai has not published a complete release calendar or said how the campaign’s effect will be measured.

For internationally mobile families, one point can prevent confusion: Tournai is in French-speaking Wallonia, and routine school notices, regulations and meetings will normally be in French. The school may be described as an école communale, while the authority behind it is its pouvoir organisateur. In Dutch-speaking municipalities, the corresponding everyday terms are gemeenteschool and schoolbestuur; those Dutch labels do not govern schooling in Tournai.

A parent who is not comfortable in French should tell the teacher or direction before a meeting and ask whether a trusted interpreter or language support can be arranged. The Walloon government’s integration portal says eligible newcomers can receive help with administrative procedures and, where needed, at least 400 hours of French training through the parcours d’intégration. That programme is broader than the school campaign, and eligibility depends on residence status; it should not be assumed that every expatriate parent must complete it.

Start with the person closest to the issue, usually the class teacher, and describe the specific incident, date and effect on the child. If it cannot be resolved, request an appointment with the direction. Bring relevant messages or documents, but avoid circulating identifiable information about pupils or staff in parent groups or public posts.

If the issue concerns school-wide rules or policy, consult the règlement d’ordre intérieur and ask which pouvoir organisateur is responsible. Parents can also raise collective questions through the school’s association de parents or conseil de participation. Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles

Organisation

Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles

French-speaking community authority whose education system includes Tournai’s nursery and primary schools.

Why it matters

French-speaking community authority whose education system includes Tournai’s nursery and primary schools.

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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For a serious unresolved administrative dispute, the Médiateur de la Wallonie et de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles may be able to examine the handling of a complaint. The Espace Wallonie de Tournai lists appointments with the mediator via 0800 19 199. This is an escalation route, not a replacement for contacting the school first, and emergencies or alleged criminal conduct should go to the appropriate emergency or police service.

The broader significance lies in the unusual breadth of the coalition. Belgium’s education landscape is divided into networks and organising authorities, so an all-network initiative carries more weight than a message from one municipal school. It establishes a shared behavioural expectation without erasing parents’ right to question a decision, seek an explanation or use formal complaint procedures.

That balance matters. School staff need protection from intimidation and personal attacks, while families need accessible ways to challenge mistakes and advocate for their children. A respect campaign will be credible only if dialogue works in both directions—including when a parent has limited French, is unfamiliar with Belgium’s school structures or needs reasonable adjustments to participate.

The next test will come through implementation. Parents should watch for the entrance poster and school-specific communications, while participating authorities will need to show whether the initiative produces clearer conversations rather than merely more signage. No evaluation method, incident baseline or reporting timetable had been announced as of 27 August 2026, leaving the campaign’s eventual impact open.