I am Koen Bellemans, 35 years old and the director of Inkendaal Hospital School, which offers education to pupils from 2.5 to 13 years old at the Inkendaal Rehabilitation Hospital and at UZBrussels University Hospital. Our hospital school provides education for children who are in long-term rehabilitation (Inkendaal), and for children who are hospitalised due to (serious) illness (UZBrussels).
I graduated as a primary school teacher in 2010 and a special education teacher in 2012. Afterwards, I followed some professionalisation courses mainly focused on providing education for all pupils (Building a school for all). In the meantime, I worked as a primary school teacher. In 2015, I started working in a hospital school (UZLeuven). I worked there for five years with seriously ill children (oncology and paediatrics department) and with children in child psychiatry. In 2020, I became the director of Inkendaal Hospital School. We have a unique integrated education and rehabilitation setting in the Inkendaal rehabilitation hospital, and I started a school at UZBrussels for hospitalised children. I further professionalised with a bachelor’s in healthcare and hospital management to better connect the fields of healthcare and education. After all, close cooperation with hospitals and hospital schools can only benefit the child. I am currently taking a course to become a mediator as I find human interactions and discussing conflicts fascinating. I want to guide others in this, and it teaches me a lot as a manager.
Hospital School in Rehabilitation Hospital Inkendaal
Hospital school in University Hospital UZBrussel
As a director of a hospital school, I find it important to stay on the barricade with the other hospital school boards in Belgium to expand and strengthen education for sick children and bring this to the attention of politicians.
Three years ago, I was introduced to HOPE and attended the first congress in Milan. It was motivating to discuss educational provision for sick children with other like-minded people and to inspire each other to improve and strengthen education for this group. This is also the role I want to continue to take up in the future: To continue, to highlight and improve education for sick children, together with (international) colleagues. HOPE is a wonderful platform for this. HOPE felt like coming home. After all, in Belgium, we are a small group of hospital schools in a large educational landscape. Meeting so many like-minded people is heartwarming and gives me hope for the future.
When I am not at work, I enjoy taking a walk with our two dogs. Together with my husband, I live in the countryside in Belgium. We also have two cats and some chickens. I enjoy nature and reading a good book.
In the summer, we like to go sailing in a sunny country (Greece, Croatia, …) or rent a motorboat in the Netherlands.
I look forward to meeting you at a HOPE event, maybe in Dublin!
Koen Bellemans
