The Flemish community, one of Belgium's three major ethnic groups which accounts for more than a half of the country's population, mostly resides in the Dutch-speaking northern region of Flanders and the bilingual Brussels area.
"From the beginning of the 2021 school year, some Flemish secondary schools will offer the opportunity for their technical students of the third cycle [year 5 and 6] to choose the Defense & Security option," the ministry said in a statement.
The two-year program will prepare pupils for higher education and work in the security sector. The defence authorities seek to reach out to the country's young generation to demonstrate the specifics of a military career and help it "appreciate defence values."
The educational pact was signed by Belgian ministers of defence, interior and justice on the part of the government and the Flemish education minister and educational institutions on the part of the Flemish community.
