Abstract :
[en] Based on the spoken language, Belgium consists of three communities: the Flemish (about 59%), the French (about 40%), and the German-speaking community (about 1%). Since 1988, the three communities are each independently responsible for education and propose their own curriculum. The GoPE! project provided an opportunity to update earlier national overviews of physical education in the country (De Knop et al. 2005; De Martelaer et al., 2014). A research working group consisting of three researchers from one university of each of the main communities was established. They collected the latest versions of the educational policies available online and contacted several stakeholders involved in the field as well as in the educational services of the three communities. Data were integrated into the workflow developed by the coordinators according to the five GoPE! key dimensions. After all researchers agreed, the information was validated. There is no national curriculum or policy. Still, in each of the three communities, PE is a compulsory subject throughout the whole compulsory education, with a minimum of two 50-minutes lessons per week. In theory, a system of surveillance exists but its implementation is not so consistent. Belgium ranks fourth among 56 countries in the GoPE! global classification on research in PE and school-based physical activity interventions, highlighting its strong academic contribution to the field, predominantly supported by the Flemish community. Since the beginning of the 21st century, several reforms have been implemented in the Belgian educational communities to align schooling closer to the current requirements of society. In parallel, regardless of the subnational level, if its learning outcomes evolved, the general organization of PE did not fundamentally change. Even though some questions could not be easily addresses due to cultural and structural differences inherent in such an international survey, comparing predetermined variables was undoubtedly fruitful. With appropriate dissemination, the national card could help practitioners and stakeholders gain a better understanding of the current situation of PE across Belgium. This could be essential to advancing the research needed for a better understanding of ‘what’s going on in gym’ (Anderson & Barrette, 1979).
