Sint-Niklaas (Eurotoday Newspaper) – Sint-Niklaas’ municipal summer schools have reached a milestone: two decades of operation, and in 2026 the city has, for the first time, extended the programme to include a kindergarten track aimed at about 40 preschoolers practising Dutch before the new school year.
What exactly happened in Sint-Niklaas this summer?
In the 2026 edition of Sint-Niklaas summer schools, there were three levels: pupils from primary and secondary school as well as the new category of preschoolers participated in classes that lasted two weeks. In terms of secondary education, about 210 pupils received education at Sint-Jozef-Klein-Seminarie, and about 140 pupils from primary school were taught at Heilige Familie school. The whole project was carried out with the help of 35 teachers and language tutors. Moreover, for the first time, there was a separate track for preschoolers called “kleuterwerking.” There were about 40 kids who had to learn the basics of Dutch language.
Why was the kindergarten track added now?
According to city authorities and organizers, the expansion is justified not only by educational research, but also by the demands of parents who recognize that language education needs to begin as soon as possible and not when there is already a problem.
Mieke De Graeve of Theater Tomaat, a key partner in the summer school, explained that
“‘Een veertigtal kleuters oefenden spelenderwijs Nederlands. Die taalondersteuning en het aanleren van een schoolse attitude zijn ook op jonge leeftijd erg belangrijk, zeker in aanloop naar het eerste leerjaar’”
adding that
“‘Gezien de grote vraag bekijken we ook de mogelijkheden om de komende jaren nog verder uit te breiden’”.
Education alderman Adelheid Van Hauwermeiren (Vooruit) and welfare alderman Kristof Van Gansen (CD&V) echoed this line, stating that
“‘We zijn blij dat onze nieuwe kleuterwerking meteen een succes was. Dat toont aan hoe belangrijk het is om al op jonge leeftijd in taal te investeren. Een goede kennis van het Nederlands zorgt voor meer kansen op school’”.
How is the programme structured for young learners?
The kindergarten track follows the same broad philosophy as the older age groups: mornings are used for language and school-readiness activities, while afternoons are reserved for creative, sport and play-based sessions that keep the experience engaging for young children. Organisers emphasise that the goal is not only to improve vocabulary and comprehension but also to familiarise preschoolers with routines such as listening in a group, following instructions and participating in structured activities, all of which are seen as crucial for a smooth transition into first grade. The high uptake and quick fill-up of places are cited as evidence that families value this kind of early support, prompting the city to consider further expansion in coming years.
Comments
5 responses to “Sint-Niklaas Summer Schools Celebrate 20 Years, Introduce Kindergarten Track”
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20 years of summer schools and now they’re finally teaching the wee ones Dutch? Must’ve taken a few decades to figure out that toddlers can learn something other than how to throw tantrums. 😂
-
20 years of summer schools and now we’re adding kindergarten? Brilliant! Next, we’ll have them learning Dutch in the womb. 😂 #EarlyBirds
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Finally, a summer school for toddlers—because who doesn’t want their kids to practice Dutch before they’re even out of diapers? 🙄🎉 Next up: advanced calculus for preschoolers, right?
-
Oh, because nothing screams “fun in the sun” like sending your four-year-old to summer school to learn Dutch. 🎉 Who needs beach holidays when you can practice your vocab in the sweltering heat, right? 😂
-
Oh great, just what we needed—more summer schools! Because obviously, our preschoolers were just itching to practice Dutch while their friends are at the beach. 😅🩴
-
Well, isn’t that just charming? Twenty years of summer schools and now they’re teaching toddlers to speak Dutch—it’s like they’ve finally discovered that kids don’t come out of the womb fluent in three languages. 🤷♂️
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Sint-Niklaas Summer Schools Celebrate 20 Years, Introduce Kindergarten Track
Sint-Niklaas (Eurotoday Newspaper) – Sint-Niklaas’ municipal summer schools have reached a milestone: two decades of operation, and in 2026 the city has, for the first time, extended the programme to include a kindergarten track aimed at about 40 preschoolers practising Dutch before the new school year.
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Comments
5 responses to “Sint-Niklaas Summer Schools Celebrate 20 Years, Introduce Kindergarten Track”
-
20 years of summer schools and now they’re finally teaching the wee ones Dutch? Must’ve taken a few decades to figure out that toddlers can learn something other than how to throw tantrums. 😂
-
20 years of summer schools and now we’re adding kindergarten? Brilliant! Next, we’ll have them learning Dutch in the womb. 😂 #EarlyBirds
-
Finally, a summer school for toddlers—because who doesn’t want their kids to practice Dutch before they’re even out of diapers? 🙄🎉 Next up: advanced calculus for preschoolers, right?
-
Oh, because nothing screams “fun in the sun” like sending your four-year-old to summer school to learn Dutch. 🎉 Who needs beach holidays when you can practice your vocab in the sweltering heat, right? 😂
-
Oh great, just what we needed—more summer schools! Because obviously, our preschoolers were just itching to practice Dutch while their friends are at the beach. 😅🩴
-
Well, isn’t that just charming? Twenty years of summer schools and now they’re teaching toddlers to speak Dutch—it’s like they’ve finally discovered that kids don’t come out of the womb fluent in three languages. 🤷♂️
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Sint-Niklaas Summer Schools Celebrate 20 Years, Introduce Kindergarten Track
Sint-Niklaas (Eurotoday Newspaper) – Sint-Niklaas’ municipal summer schools have reached a milestone: two decades of operation, and in 2026 the city has, for the first time, extended the programme to include a kindergarten track aimed at about 40 preschoolers practising Dutch before the new school year.
What exactly happened in Sint-Niklaas this summer?
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