A Practical Answer

To the Challenge of Diversity – Sa. 6 November 12.15-13.15 IIRE, Lombokstraat 40, Amsterdam

Presentation: Luc Lamote, school director in Antwerp.

In the 25 years of its existence Het Keerpunt, a school for professional education in Borgerhout near Antwerp, has made itself fame in turning handicaps into assets and failures into successes. The institute only admits people who have dropped out of the regular education system. And more than 70 percent of the students is of non-Belgian origin, which is no coincidence: the average migrant has a larger distance to the regular system than Belgian-born boys and girls because of differences in language and culture.

Yet over 60 percent of the students finish their courses at Het Keerpunt and find a job, which is, for that type of education, remarkably high.

The school’s secret is partly educational: the school stresses students’ talents, not their weaknesses, cherishes positive experiences to repair tself-esteem; puts practice before theory and teaches students the social skills their future employers expect. And it is partly multi-cultural: the staff takes care that no ethnic group becomes dominant; all students and teachers may live according to their own culture as long as they respect other people’s cultural standards too; and there is a lively interaction with the multi-cultural shops, designer, entrepreneurs and initiatives in the neighbouring area.