ABSTRACT
The relations existing between church and state in education in Belgium can at the time be understood only through history. The religious wars of the sixteenth century between Protestants and Catholics ended in victory for the Catholic Church. The Protestant religion remained alive but subdued in the territories of the Belgian kingdom of that day, its influence on public affairs became nil. The scholastic pact represents an agreement valid for a period of twelve years between the Catholic, Socialist, and Liberal parties not subscribed to by the Communist party. After the year 1959, the scholastic pact was extended to cover the psycho-medico social centres, organizations which, in Belgium, arrange for the scholastic and professional direction of pupils towards suitable careers as well as for their guidance during the last years of their primary education and during the secondary stage.
