In Belgium, communities are primarily responsible for providing school services and each of the three communities (Flemish-, French- and German-speaking) has its own autonomous education system.

Many students put environmental issues and even biodiversity protection at the top of their agenda. Unfortunately, few of them are aware of the threats to their immediate environment and the opportunities to take concrete action in their daily lives. The education system has a vital role to play here.

Education and training should focus on developing skills that improve understanding and acceptance of the need for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use. Information should be presented not only as science, but also in a social, economic and political context so that young people can better understand the complex circumstances in which biodiversity conservation decisions are made. Practical skills, such as recognising plants and animals, should also be encouraged. Courses on the values of biodiversity and ecosystem services, as well as planning programmes applying the ecosystem approach, should be offered throughout the education system, from primary and secondary schools to technical colleges and universities, in secondary and higher agricultural education, as well as outside the school system (youth organisations, continuing education). In-service training courses on environmental issues, in particular on biodiversity, can be organised for teachers to include these issues in their lessons.

Today, several educational programmes on the environment and sustainable development exist in the official Belgian education system, especially at primary school level. Biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services should be systematically included in all curricula and at the different educational levels. Therefore, schools and teachers need better educational support (e.g. development of educational kits and publications on biodiversity for young people).

Coordination between different communities and between communities and schools is essential to achieve this goal. A centralised platform that brings together all school initiatives, provides a space where teachers can share best practices and offers guidance tools would serve several purposes. First, it would facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration among teachers, allowing them to draw from each other's experiences and implement effective teaching methods. Second, it would make it possible to monitor progress in biodiversity education in the Belgian education sector.