Leo Collard
Leo Collard (11 July 1902 – 27 January 1981) was a Belgian politician, the BSP minister of public education (1946 and 1954–1958) and Mayor of Mons (1953–1974).In 1955, Collard tried to increase the subsidies to the free secondary, technical, and normal education from the previous homogeneous Catholic period of government and also the salaries of teachers. This led to a violent reaction of the free Belgium leading education (The School Struggle), supported by the CVP and the Catholic Church. He has founded a large number of National School buildings. Teachers had to possess a diploma, so many priests without diploma were no longer eligible.In 1963 Leo Collard was appointed Minister of State.