Parents who have children with emotional and behavioral problems will soon be able to attend a new school in Ronse. The province of East Flanders had a school there for more than 50 years, but that site closed its doors in 2020. In 2022, the site was given on a long lease to the vzw Pedagogical Center Wagenschot. And so now a new school is coming. The free elementary school for special education KBO Kameleon is part of Catholic Primary Education Oudenaarde (KBO).
Opening in 2024 impossible
“We have 40 students in Eine today,” says director of Kameleon Greet Weyme. “We are moving that department to Heynsdaele in Ronse. We are very happy to move to that domain. We will take part of the big building. That’s the building you see when you drive onto the large domain. The school is new but it still needs a lot of renovation. Today there is still single glass. Some of the work has already begun because we want to open on September 1, 2025. September 2024 will be impossible because there is a lot of work.”
“There are already living groups at the secondary school domain. Additional living groups are now being added for the children of our school. The children need a stable environment and we can certainly provide that there. We offer kindergarten and primary education. The intention is for the 40 children from Eine to move with us, but there is room for additional pupils. It is still unclear how many children there will be in total. The area is ideal for our children. Heynsdaele is a large and green domain. There is a lot of nature and ample play opportunities. We will furnish classrooms in the building and there will be a gymnasium.”
Heynsdaele, located on the border of Kluisbergen with Ronse, was commissioned as a sanatorium in 1924 and served until 1963. After several years of vacancy, it was converted into a provincial school in 1968. The campus closed at the end of June 2020. In 2014, the royal couple visited the school during their visit to Ronse.
