New schools for Prince Emmanuel and Princess Eléonore
It’s the end of an era for the Sint-Jan Berchmanscollege in the centre of Brussels. For the first time in a quarter of a century no member of the Belgian Royal Family will be among its pupils. King Filip and Queen Mathilde's youngest child Princes Eléonore failed to get a place in Sint-Jans Berchmans’ secondary school. The school has an excellent reputation and is perceived by many to be the best Dutch-medium Catholic secondary school in Brussels. Consequently, demand for places there far exceeds the number of places available.
Next week Princess Eléonore will start secondary school at the Heilig Hartcollege in Wezembeek-Oppem, a Flemish Brabant municipality just east of Brussels. Meanwhile, her brother Prince Emmanuel (14) will be leaving current school at Kessel-Lo in Flemish Brabant to join his brother Prince Gabriël at the International School of Brussels in Watermaal-Bosvoorde.
Despite being the King’s daughter, Princess Eléonore was not given any preferential treatment when it came to being given a place at Sint-Jan-Berchmans, as she doesn’t have any older siblings that are pupils at its secondary school. As she wasn’t given a place she will now attend what was her second-choice school, the Heilig Hartcollege in Wezembeek-Oppem.
Prince Emmanuel (14) attended the Eureka School in Kessel-Lo. This is a school for children with learning difficulties and structural issues such as dyslexia, dyscalculia…Children between the ages of 7 and 14 are intensively coached to help them overcome their learning issues. Afterwards they are able to return to a mainstream school. Prince Emmanuel as spent 5 years as pupil at the Eureka School and will now go to the International School of Brussels, an English-medium private school with extensive sport facilities.