Why is it so special to turn 18 in Belgium ?

Well, I read this thread only now, and I have some comment on the difference between Belgium and The Netherlands. I live close to the Belgian border, so I can compare a bit.

For instance.. Education.
Belgium: In schools the teacher is the boss. Discipline is important.
The Netherlands: Schools are more free. Children study in small groups.

The effect is, Belgian children learn their stuff faster, but lack the social abilities.
For the Dutch it's the other way around.
Belgians win on a language contest in writing, but the Dutch win any debate with Belgians.

So, in Belgium youth is hold their hand in anything they do until they are 18, and then they really jump in deep water.
Dutch children learn the consequences of bad behavior much earlier, and so 18 doesn't change much for them.

The effect of this is, Belgium has a big problem with adolescents dieing in traffic accidents, caused by drugs and alcohol.
18 Year old kids go totally berserk.

Dutch kids already had some wild experiences before that, and have learned to live with it better.

In The Netherlands, people are considered grown up at the age of 21.
And even after that, if a child is still living in the home of his parents, those parents are still held responsible, even if he would be 23 or so.

I don't know what is best.
I admire the Belgian education system. It's cheap and very efficient.
But parents have little influence.

If I would have been put on a Belgian school, 50 years ago, I would have had a problem.
They would pick on me, because I am Dutch.
I would have become some kind of Rambo. "They drew first blood!"

I think person should be considered "grown up" when he or she is ready to live on it's own and I think state shall not put any age restrictions on it. When moving to live on your own, you gain all civil and political rights and criminal responsibility, as well. That is my vision of the World.

Regarding education my view on it is somewhat more complex. Beginning a process of switching to virtual education would be a hard thing to do, since my idea is that Government has to regard internet access not as a privilege, but rather as a human right and make internet available to all (for free). However, first it has to make sure there are no or a very small number of homeless people. Issue with small wages shall not be resolved with anti-immigrant policies, but rather with making minimum wage much higher (by the law). Then, education could be done via webcam or something. You can "google" stuff at the same moment as you learn for "further reading." However, my idea of school is more like a debating club, exchange of opinions through learning. Someone may consider it utopian, but utopia is not something that cannot be done, but what was not done before.
 
I agree with this. It isn't Utopian to chose a path between capitalism and communism.
In fact it is very European to get the best of both worlds.
It isn't power where Europeans are interested in, it's culture.
 
I agree with this. It isn't Utopian to chose a path between capitalism and communism.
In fact it is very European to get the best of both worlds.
It isn't power where Europeans are interested in, it's culture.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Reinaert again. (y)
 
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