Why are Flemish school laptops costing far more than Demir’s reference prices?

School leaders and ICT coordinators argue that a classroom device is more than a consumer laptop placed in a schoolbag. Their contracts may cover accidental-damage procedures, rapid replacement, administration, battery performance, protective equipment and several years of support. The Liga van ICT-coördinatoren was quoted in the survey as saying that a changing technology market made fixed reference prices difficult to sustain. Schools also say the cheapest brands may not remain dependable throughout a pupil’s course.

The government’s position is that higher prices need educational justification, not merely a preference for premium equipment. According to the Kenniscentrum Digisprong, features such as a touchscreen, stylus, folding display or powerful graphics card should be used regularly in lessons if parents are expected to finance them. The total reference amount remains directional, and a longer service period can be adjusted proportionally, but administrative charges attached to instalments must be reasonable, proportionate and transparent.

This tension follows the first Digisprong, launched during the pandemic under former education minister Ben Weyts. VRT NWS reported in 2021 that the programme allocated €375 million and was intended to provide a device for pupils from the fifth year of primary school. By 2023, VRT found that schools had adopted widely different systems—loan, rental, hire-purchase or direct purchase—while the original funds were nearly exhausted and the first devices were approaching replacement age.

Demir subsequently changed direction. VRT NWS reported in May 2025 that primary schools and the first stage of secondary education would move towards shared ICT infrastructure, such as computer rooms, laptop carts and lending services. Individual devices remain possible from the third year of secondary school, particularly where a course requires them, but the new Digiplan

Start with the documents supplied by the school, usually in Dutch in Flemish education. Look for toestelprijs, servicekost, totaalprijs, levensduur, garantie and sociale correcties. Ask which applications the course actually requires, whether the quoted device exceeds the official specification, what happens after a breakdown, who owns it when payments end, and what early termination costs apply if the pupil changes school.

The Vlaamse overheid says a school cannot force parents to buy from the school or one designated supplier. Families may obtain a compatible device elsewhere if it meets clear minimum technical requirements supplied in advance. Before doing so, however, confirm in writing that the alternative will work with the school’s software, security and examination systems.

If the amount is difficult to pay at once, request a payment plan. The government’s school-cost guidance says families can discuss instalments with the school’s designated contact person and that some schools operate savings arrangements or solidarity funds. Eligible households receiving the Groeipakket may also receive the annual school bonus and, subject to the conditions, a school allowance. Some steden en gemeenten offer additional instruments such as an onderwijscheque or kansenpas, so parents should check the website or social service of their gemeente or commune; local schemes and eligibility rules vary.

Language and school network matter. These reference prices belong to the Flemish education system, including Dutch-language schools in Brussels. They should not automatically be applied to French-language schools governed by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles

Organisation

Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles

Authority responsible for French-language education, which has a different policy and complaints structure.

Why it matters

Authority responsible for French-language education, which has a different policy and complaints structure.

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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Parents who still consider a charge excessive should first raise it with the director or an elected parent representative on the schoolraad. If the explanation remains inadequate, Vlaanderen.be

The immediate question is whether the 30 schools in the survey can document educational or service-related reasons for exceeding the benchmarks. The larger test will be enforcement: whether transparent contracts, parental scrutiny and decisions by the Commissie Zorgvuldig Bestuur turn Demir’s reference prices into meaningful protection, or leave them as numbers that many schools regard as unattainable.