Valérie Glatigny, the Minister of Education for the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, announced the introduction of a new non-certifying assessment called CLÉ, which stands for 'Calculer, Lire, Écrire', set to begin in the 2025-2026 school year.

The CLÉ assessment will replace existing non-certifying evaluations previously conducted in the 3rd and 5th grades of primary education, as well as in the 5th year of secondary education, which have faced criticism for causing misunderstandings.

This new evaluation aims to assess fundamental skills such as reading, writing, and arithmetic, aligning with current educational frameworks.

The goal of the CLÉ assessment is to identify potential learning gaps early on and to provide support for students who may be struggling, while also recognizing those who perform well.

Minister Glatigny emphasized that the purpose of external evaluations, whether certifying or not, is to detect and support students with learning gaps as early as possible.

However, the implementation of the CLÉ assessment still requires approval from the parliament of the Federation Wallonia-Brussels, where the MR and Les Engagés hold a majority.

Starting from the 2025-2026 school year, all francophone students in 3rd grade will be required to take the CLÉ assessment.

Unlike the Certificate of Primary Studies (CEB), the CLÉ exam is designed as a non-certifying evaluation, meaning it will not lead to a diploma.

Opposition Deputy Ersel Kaynak raised concerns, noting that similar non-certifying assessments already exist and questioning the necessity of the new evaluation.

Kaynak also highlighted the importance of considering students' age and maturity during the evaluation process, criticizing the government for not adequately addressing support measures for struggling students.

The announcement of the CLÉ assessment is part of the MR-Engagés government's community policy declaration, emphasizing the need for a common external evaluation at the end of third-year primary to assess foundational competencies.

Overall, the evaluations are seen as an opportunity to assess learning and provide better support for students in need.