Supplementary schools as sites of access to community cultural wealth and funds of knowledge in Flanders, Belgium

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates the role of supplementary schools as grassroots educational initiatives whose reach extend beyond individual educational trajectories for minoritized youth. We examine how these schools serve as community forces, emphasizing the importance of resources and relationships. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of funds of knowledge and community cultural wealth, we explore how supplementary schools strategically make accessible community resources that benefit all members. Through in-depth interviews with twelve supplementary school leaders, in Flanders, we discuss the diverse array of resources present within these spaces. We highlight the investment in bonding relations, making resources available to community members, while also revealing a strong focus on building bridging ties across ethnic minorities and toward broader society. These insights contribute to our understanding of supplementary schools as pivotal places that strengthen and empower minoritized communities within the context of structural inequality.

KEYWORDS:

• Social capital
• community cultural wealth
• funds of knowledge
• supplementary schools
• bonding relations
• bridging relations

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. We use the term ‘minoritized’ to indicate the status of minorities with regards to their status of power, or lack thereof, compared to the majority, rather than as a measure of quantity (Wingrove-Haugland & McLeod, 2021).

2. Turkish, Chinese, Armenian, two Polish, Italian, Greek, Pan-African, Russian, Syrian, Thai and Albanian.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Universiteit Antwerpen.

Notes on contributors

Julia Steenwegen

Julia Steenwegen is a doctoral researcher in Educational Sciences at the University of Antwerp. Her primary research focus lies in the strategies undertaken by minoritized communities to confront the persistent educational inequalities in Flanders. Specifically, she investigates community schooling, educational spaces organized by these communities for the benefit of their youth.

Noel Clycq

Noel Clycq is a research professor in the domain of governance of learning in an era of globalisation. His research centers around themes related related to ethnic and cultural identity, diversity and educational inequality.