Antwerp, Flemish Region, Belgium
From September 2022 onwards I enthusiastically continue my journey through the educational landscape as the new headmaster of primary school De Sterrenkijker. I continue to work on these challenges: change vision & strategy development & the ability to inspire, influence & shape policymaking. Until August 2018 I was the headmaster of primary school De Wereldreiziger (The World Traveller). Under my leadership, this school developed into a knowledge expertise centre on educating newcomers. For these non-native speaking newcomers, De Wereldreiziger was & is the landing wharf in their port of arrival. De Wereldreiziger aims to be an innovative & inspiring learning environment where teachers get all they can out of the students without allowing the process to be slowed down by the students’ prior knowledge, school career or native language. De Wereldreiziger prepares students for secondary education via high expectations, customized guidance, following-up their learning progress meticulously & team teaching. The school strives to be a living environment in addition to a learning environment that gives students those learning opportunities, insights and skills that develop them into world citizens. Due to its total policy approach, De Wereldreiziger was the first primary school to obtain the European ESF quality label in January 2012. I became the Interim Director Coordination of a group of schools on September 1, 2012. I developed a clear mission, vision and strategy related to integral quality assurances for Antwerp’s municipal primary education that is based on continuous improvement. We employed a dynamic and integral approach while paying lots of attention to balanced decision-making, talent development & efficient communication. I concluded this two-year journey with lots of inspiring memories. Specialties: facilitating leadership (leading by not leading), evaluative assessment & organization diagnosis, empowerment, team teaching ...
In the 19th century, Adolph Diesterweg (1790 - 1866) designed a progressive pedagogy that was way ahead of its time. He advocated free education in all grades of primary education, proper training and remuneration for teachers and the independence of education from the church. The Belgian progressive and liberal educational circles were inspired by Diesterweg's ideas. In 1894, the liberal Diesterweg Circle established "Diesterweg's Hulpkas voor Behoeftige Schoolkinderen" with the aim of providing financial aid to socially vulnerable pupils in primary and secondary education. Since then, it has been a driving force that, through empowerment, wants to give every student the opportunity to give free access to education so that they can develop their talents and competences to the fullest and capitalize on them with a certificate or diploma. Diesterweg's Hulpkas has been working in silence and discretion for over 120 years.