High School in Belgium French

Eligibility Requirements

Participants must be between the ages of  15,8 and 18,8  years old on the day of departure.

The AFS Program

After your host parents greet you with traditional hospitality, it shouldn’t be long before you feel at home in their open, friendly community. By going to a local high school, you’ll be totally immersed in a new language and customs, and what you learn during the day will be reinforced at night when you spend time with your host family. This is your chance to break out of your comfort zone and join in this diverse and ever-evolving culture.

Your high school

In the south part of Belgium where you’ll be hosted, all classes are given in French.

There are two basic types of educational institutions: the schools run by the regional, provincial or local authorities  and  the  independent  or  “free”  schools  directed  by  private  individuals  or  by  non-­‐profit  organisations, usually religious and, for the most part, catholic. The law sets standards for all schools, but allows more flexibility to set curricula in the “free” or independent sector than in the public one.

A normal school day starts at 8 AM and ends at 4 PM. There is a break of about 1 hour at noon and two other 15 minutes breaks during the day. Wednesday afternoon is free and there is no school on Saturday.

School year and  vacation:  school  starts  shortly  around  September  1.  For  vacation,  there  is  one  week  around November 1, two at Christmas (Winter break), one around carnival, two at Easter (Spring break) and the summer vacation starting on July 1.

For more information on fees and scholarships.

Returning Home

“Life-changing” is hard to describe, yet it’s nearly always the first thing that AFSers say when asked about their experience abroad.
“Transformed” is another one. When you return home, if you’re like most AFSers, you’ll bring with you a sense of accomplishment unlike any other. You’ll have gained maturity and independence, discovered new passions, and feel like you can do anything you set your mind to. That transformation isn’t visible only to you, though – others see it as well. AFSers gain critical skills for college and careers, ranging from language fluency to intercultural competence and critical reasoning. “Life-changing” means it’s only the beginning.