International Commission on Mathematical Instruction
Belgian Division
On this page we gather relevant information, Belgian people, organisations and initiatives in mathematics education in the context of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI), which is part of the International Mathematical Union (IMU). It is an organization dedicated to the advancement of mathematical education at all levels. ICMI promotes international collaboration and research in mathematics education and organises activities such as:
- International Congress on Mathematical Education (ICME): Held every four years, it's one of the largest conferences for math educators, researchers, and policymakers worldwide.
- ICMI Studies: These are thematic studies on key issues in mathematics education, resulting in comprehensive reports or books.
- Awards and Recognition: ICMI gives several awards, such as the Felix Klein Award and the Hans Freudenthal Award, to recognize outstanding contributions to mathematics education research.
ICMI-Belgium is the Belgian division of ICMI. Belgium's representative is elected by the Nationaal Comité voor Wiskunde/Comité national des mathématiques, an organisation within the Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium. This committee is the liaison to the International Mathematical Union (IMU).
Belgium is a multi-language country, organised in regions and communities. Education policy is developed at the community level, hence language related. Each community has its own education ministry and curricula. Belgian education law mandates schooling roughly from ages 5 to 18, but details (such as curriculum, examinations and teacher training) are set separately by each community. Education in Brussels falls under the jurisdiction of the Flemish and the French Community. Besides these two large communities, there are also European and international schools that do not fall under the jurisdiction of either community.
Ann Dooms - ICMI representative for Belgium and President of the Education Committee of the EMS
News Flash
The European Mathematical Society is thrilled to announce its Lecture Series on Mathematics Education uniting leading experts to explore critical issues and innovative approaches in mathematics teaching, curriculum design, and policy making. These engaging one-hour webinars will occur on the second Friday of each month from January to June 2026 at 7:00 PM CET. YouTube Live Stream link will be announced soon!
School System
Belgium's school system is divided by community. Generally, compulsory education runs from age 6 to 18, with primary school lasting six years and secondary school another six years (typically divided into three stages, each of two years). The first stage of secondary is common; the later stages branch into general, technical, and vocational tracks, all including mathematics. Each community prescribes its own curriculum.
More information on the educational system in the Flemish Community (Flanders) can be found at https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/eurypedia/belgium-flemish-community/overview). The curriculum framework consists of "minimum goals" that specify the minimum knowledge and skills per subject. These learning goals cover knowledge, insight, skills and attitudes, and they are published on the official Onderwijsdoelen website. Currently a staged development of central assessment of the mathematics goals is ongoing.
More information on the educational system in the French Community (Wallonia) can be found at https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/eurypedia/belgium-french-community/overview. The curriculum is organized by a common core of competences and official programs (référentiels) for mathematics; details are available on the Education Ministry's site.
More information on the educational system in the German-speaking Community can be found at https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/eurypedia/belgium-german-speaking-community/overview. Likewise, the system has its own school curriculum managed by its Ministry of Education.
Across Belgium, curricula emphasize problem-solving and reasoning in mathematics, and all students must meet the community-determined attainment standards by the end of each cycle.
Mathematics Curricula
People
Mathematics education research in Belgium is conducted within its universities and associated educational systems. Most universities in all communities have education faculties or didactic labs where math education is studied. Key researchers and their affiliation are listed below in alphabetical order based on the surname.
- Prof. Stéphanie Bridoux (Dept. Mathematics, Université Mons)
- Prof. Pierre-Emmanuel Caprace (Dept. Mathematics, UCL Louvain-la-Neuve)
- Prof. Philippe Cara (Dept. Mathematics & Data Science, VUB)
- Mr. Bao Dang (Centre de Recherche sur l'Enseignement des Mathématiques (CREM))
- Prof. Mieke De Cock ( Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, Specific Teacher Training Programme in Physics / KU Leuven)
- Prof. Em. Johan Deprez (Dept. of Mathematics, Specific Teacher Training Programma in Mathematics / KU Leuven)
- Prof. Dirk De Bock (Onderwijscentrum Mathematics, Education, Econometrics and Statistics/ KU Leuven)
- Prof. Bert De Smedt (Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Parenting and special education research unit / KU Leuven)
- Prof. Ann Dooms (Dept. Mathematics & Data Science, VUB)
- Prof. Katrijn Frederix (Vakgroep Educatieve Studies, UHasselt)
- Prof. Valérie Henry (Institut de Recherches en Didactiques et Education, Université de Namur)
- Prof. Em. Paul Igodt (Dept. of Mathematics, Coördinator Flanders Mathematics Olympiad and usolv-it platform / KU Leuven Campus Kulak)
- Prof. Thierry Libert (Département de mathématique, AESS Mathématiques, ULB)
- Prof. Koen Luwel (Faculty of Economics and Business, Research Centre for Mathematics, Education, Econometrics and Statistics / KU Leuven)
- Prof. Christian Michaux (Dept. Mathematics, Centre de Recherche sur l'Enseignement des Mathématiques (CREM) / Univ. Mons)
- Prof. Filip Moons (Mathematics Education, Freudenthal Institute, Utrecht University)
- Prof. Laure Ninove (Teacher Training Programme in Mathematics / UCLouvain Louvain-la-Neuve; Groupe d'Enseignement Mathématique (GEM))
- Prof. Patrick Onghena (Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Methodology of Educational Sciences / KU Leuven)
- Prof. Johan Quaegebeur (Dept. of Mathematics, KU Leuven)
- Prof. Giovanni Samaey (Dept. Computer Science – KU Leuven)
- Mr. Bert Seghers, Royal Flemish Academy for Science and the Arts
- Prof. Joke Torbeyns (Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Core Mathematical Competences / KU Leuven)
- Prof. Stefaan Vaes (Dept. Mathematics, KU Leuven) (Junior College STEM, KU Leuven)
- Prof. Ellen Vandervieren (Faculty of Social Sciences – Antwerp School of Education, Specific Teacher Training Programme in Mathematics, Univ. Antwerp)
- Prof. Wim Van Dooren (Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, member of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (IGPME) / KU Leuven)
- Ria Van Huffel (Dept. Mathematics & Data Science, VUB, Steunpunt Centrale Toetsen & Secretary IMO)
- Prof. Hendrik Van Maldeghem (Dept of Mathematics – Ghent University, Specific Teacher Training Programme in Mathematics)
- Prof. Em. Lieven Verschaffel (Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Research unit instructional psychology and technology / KU Leuven)
- Prof. Bart Windels (Dept. Mathematics, VUB) Specific Teacher Training Programme in Mathematics
Mathematics Departments
- Departments of Mathematics (Ghent University)
- Department of Mathematics (KU Leuven)
- Department of Mathematics (KU Leuven Campus Kulak)
- Department of Mathematics (University of Antwerp)
- Department of Mathematics (University of Hasselt)
- Department of Mathematics & Data Science (Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB))
- Department of Mathematics (Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB))
- Department of Mathematics (UCL – Louvain)
- Department of Mathematics (Université de Liège)
- Department of Mathematics (Université de Mons)
- Department of Mathematics (Université de Namur)
Mathematics Teacher Education
Initial teacher education differs by community but follows a common model of university-based programs.
In Flanders the system was reformed (since 2019) into full Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Primary school teachers follow a 3‑year (Professional) Bachelor of Education in Primary Education (Basisonderwijs) and can add a teaching Master's. Teaching in the first two stages of secondary requires a (Professional) Bachelor of Education in Secondary Education. A student aiming to teach secondary mathematics in the last stage holds an (Academic) Bachelor's in Science - mathematics and then an educational Master's (90–120 ECTS). These integrated programs include extensive school internships. More information on https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/eurypedia/belgium-flemish-community/initial-education-teachers-working-early-childhood-and-school.
In the French-speaking community, primary teachers in Wallonia typically complete a Bachelor in Éducation Fondamentale plus pedagogical modules. The secondary math teachers likewise need a university Master's. For 2025+ entrants, one route is a 120‑credit Master in Mathematics Education (agrégation, 2nd cycle) following a 180‑credit Bachelor; alternatively a 60‑credit teaching Master (agrégation) can follow a disciplinary Master. More information on https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/eurypedia/belgium-french-community/initial-education-teachers-working-early-childhood-and-school.
In the German-speaking Community, teacher training is organised by the Gemeinschaftsakademie and nearby German universities, following similar diploma lengths.
Journals and Conferences
Belgian mathematics educators communicate research and practice through a variety of publications and events. In the Dutch-speaking community, the journal Uitwiskeling (since 1974) features articles on teaching mathematics. In the French community, the SBPM publishes Losanges (successor to the older Mathématique & Pédagogie), a quarterly for teachers of all levels.
Conference activity includes national meetings (e.g. VVWL and SBPM's teacher congresses) and Belgian participation in European forums (CERME, PME, Nationale Wiskunde Dagen and Panama Conference in the Netherlands) and in ICMI/ICME events.
