Education in Spain
Education in Spain is regulated by the Ley Orgánica 8/2013, de 9 de diciembre, para la mejora de la calidad educativa that expands upon Article 27 of the Spanish Constitution of 1978. The Spanish education system is compulsory and free for all children aged between 6 and 16 years and is supported by the national government together with the governments of each of the country's 17 autonomous communities.
In Spain, elementary school and middle school are considered basic education. These are Primaria, which is the Spanish equivalent of elementary/primary school, and Secundaria, which would be a mixture of middle school and the first two years of High school in the United States/secondary school in England and many other countries.
Spain is working towards reforming vocational education and modernizing education to halt and reverse the rising unemployment rates.
Stages
Preschool education
Preescolar or Educación Infantil is encouraged for children under the age of six. There are two cycles of preschool which are divided by age; 0–3 years old and 3–6 years old. The first cycle is often held in daycare centers or preschools, Escuela Infantil colloquially Guardería, and most of the time it isn't free for students, although some city councils offer scholarships for their public preschool centers with limited places. The second cycle is free for all students enrolled in public schools that offer Educación Infantil, and is often held in Centro de Educación Infantil y Primaria, colloquially Colegio. The second cycle of preschool in public schools focus in on emotional development, movement and control of body habits, communication and language, and positive body image. The documents required for public registration include proof of residence, passport or residence card, or child's birth certificate, and, in some areas, proof of the child's vaccinations and a medical certificate of health.Primary education
Primaria or Educación Primaria, consists of six years, structured as three cycles, from first grade through sixth grade.- First Cycle: 1st and 2nd grade
- Second Cycle: 3rd and 4th grade
- Third Cycle: 5th and 6th grade
- Spanish Language and Literature
- Mathematics and science
- Natural science
- Social science
- Physical education
- First Foreign Language
- Artistic education: Arts and Crafts and Music
- Second Foreign Language
- Citizenship and Human Rights' Education
- Ethical Values / Religion
- Regional Language: Catalan, Galician, Basque, Valencian, Aragonese, Occitan-Aranese or Asturian
Secondary education
- First Cycle: 1st and 2nd year
- Second Cycle: 3rd and 4th year
| First year of ESO | Second year of ESO | Third year of ESO | Fourth year of ESO |
| Biology and Geology | Biology and Geology. Physics and Chemistry | Biology and Geology. Physics and Chemistry | Students have to choose 2 of the following subjects: Biology and Geology, Economy, Physics and Chemistry, or Latin |
| Mathematics | Mathematics | Mathematics oriented to the academic teachings or Mathematics oriented to applied teachings | Mathematics oriented to the academic teachings |
| Geography and History | Geography and History | Geography and History | Geography and History |
| Spanish Language and Literature, as well as the co-official language, where applicable | Spanish Language and Literature, as well as the co-official language, where applicable | Spanish Language and Literature, as well as the co-official language, where applicable | Spanish Language and Literature, as well as the co-official language, where applicable |
| First Foreign Language | First Foreign Language | First Foreign Language | First Foreign Language |
| Physical Education | Physical Education | Physical Education | Physical Education |
| Religion or Ethical Values | Religion or Ethical Values | Religion or Ethical Values | Religion or Ethical Values |
Some electives courses at some schools are the following:
| Some electives courses at some schools are the following: | Some elective courses are the following: | Some elective courses are the following: |
Post-16 education
Spanish Baccalaureate or Bachillerato consists of two optional additional final years in high school, required if the student wants to attend University. Once students have finished Bachillerato, they can take their University Entrance Exam, Pruebas de Acceso a la Universidad, popularly called Selectividad. La Selectividad is composed of two parts: the "general" section, which is mandatory for everyone, and the "specific" section, which consists of focus topics based on the students' academic interests and is theoretically optional. La Selectividad is scored out of 14 points and students grade average and this score is then used to calculate students overall grade point average. In fact, 60% of this overall score is composed based on the students' GPA in Bachillerato and 40% of the score is based on the Selectividad grade.;Subjects
| First year of Baccalaureate | Second year of Baccalaureate |
| Spanish Language and Literature, as well as the co-official language, where applicable | Spanish Language and Literature, as well as the co-official language, where applicable |
| First Foreign Language | First Foreign Language |
| Philosophy | History of Spain |
| Physical Education | - |
Science: Mathematics I Social science:Mathematics oriented to social sciences I Humanities: Latin I Arts: Basics of Art I | Science: Mathematics II Social science:Mathematics oriented to social sciences II Humanities: Latin II Arts: Basics of Art II |
| Students have to choose 2 of the following subjects: | Students have to choose 2 of the following subjects: |
Science: Biology, Geology, Technical Drawing, Physics, Chemistry and Industrial Technology. | Science: Biology, Technical Drawing, Geology, Physics, Chemistry or Industrial Technology. |
Social Science or Humanities:Economy, Greek, Contemporany World History or Universal Literature. | Social Science or Humanities: Business Economics, Greek, Art History, Georgraphy. |
Arts: Audiovisual Culture, Contemporany World History or Universal Literature. | Arts''': Audiovisual Culture, Scenic Arts or Design. |
Some elective courses are the following:
| Some elective courses are the following: |
Schools
Schools in Spain can be divided into 3 categories:- State schools '
- Privately run schools funded by the State '
- Purely private schools '
All non-university state education is free in Spain, but parents have to buy their children's books and materials. This, nominally at least, also applies to colegios concertados. Many schools are concertados, state funded up to the end of Primaria but purely private for the high school years. This drop in the proportion of pupils in educación concertada is matched by increases of approximately equal size in the proportion in both state and purely private education for ESO and Bachillerato.
Schools supply a list of what is required at the start of each school year and which will include art and craft materials as well as text and exercise books. From 2009, this figure was around £300 and in 2011 was nearer £500; as of 2011, the cost of books averaged 170 euros for preschool and 300 euros for elementary school students. In some regions, the autonomous government is giving tokens to exchange them in book shops for free. This was adapted in 2006 in regions such as Andalusia, where pupils from 3 to 10 years old will get the books for free, and in subsequent years it is expected for all compulsory years. School uniform is not normally worn in state schools but is usually worn in private schools.
There is a largely uniform admissions process for state funded schools, both colegios públicos and colegios concertados. The main admissions procedures for pupils wishing to join a school in the autumn are carried out in the spring of the year in question.
Parents can choose the school to which they wish to send their child. It is not uncommon for there to be insufficient places in a popular school for all the children for whom places are requested. In such cases, places are allocated according to rather strictly defined admissions criteria as defined in Annex IX to the order establishing the process.
Public schools
Schools run directly by the public authorities or privately with public assistance provide education free of charge, but, parents may be required to supply consumables such as textbooks and school uniforms as well as contributing to after school activities.Primaria public schools are called centro de educación infantil y primaria, colloquially colegio or cole, and secundaria public schools are called instituto de enseñanza secundaria, colloquially instituto. Public schools in Spain are free.
Private schools
Private schools in Spain vary:some of the schools teach entirely in Spanish; some are run as Catholic schools; some are private and bilingual or trilingual and some are international schools which place emphasis on a second language, generally English. Private schools that are state subsidized are required to follow the Spanish syllabus, while international schools are free to follow other curriculums typically from other countries such as the US or UK. Private schools tend to be more costly especially in Barcelona or Madrid. Fees include tuition as well as school supplies and uniform.School terms
Broadly similar to the English three term system, but with slightly shorter holidays at Christmas and Easter, and longer in the summer. In 2005, the summer holiday ran from 22 June until 1–15 September, depending on the regions. The English half-term holiday does not exist, but there are frequent odd days and long weekends relating mainly to religious holidays and regional and national holidays. Schools use the trimester system.Bilingual teaching models
In Spain Spanish coexists with Basque, Catalan and Galician as the medium of instruction. Aranese is official in a small area of Catalonia and primary education is offered in this language. The linguistic model chosen by the regions with their own language varies per community.Basque regions
historically provided three teaching models: A, B or D. Model D, with education entirely in Basque, and Spanish as a compulsory subject, is the most widely chosen model by parents. In addition, Navarre offers the G model, with education entirely in Spanish, without a Basque language subject option. Model A offers Spanish as tuition language and Basque is learnt as a language subject. Model B offers 50% of the classes in Spanish and Basque.The Basque Country approved its bilingual model in a decree of 1983. Navarre enacted its corresponding decree in 1988.
Catalan regions
and the Balearic Islands employ language immersion in Catalan.After the 1970s, when Spain became a democracy, Catalonia was given rights over its own education system. A law passed in 1983, "Llei de Normalització Lingüística", defined the language immersion system of Catalonia. By 1986 the entire region the whole country was already switched to it.
The Balearic Islands took more time to make language immersion effective. A decree enacted in 1997 established that Catalan must be used in at least 50% of lessons. Schools have freedom to add more lessons, and usually they do.
Valencian Community offers different levels of immersion in Catalan, with the highest level having the widest adoption. Before implementing that model, the community offered two paths. One path taught Catalan in the Catalan language subject and used it as tuition language in either Social or Natural Science. The other path provided immersion in Catalan, approaching the level of the newer advanced immersion.
The immersion models have faced strong opposition by Spanish nationalists. They allege that schools are used as indoctrination centres and that this imposes barriers which worsens academic performance. There is no serious investigation that proves that academic results are worse for bilingual students. Also proficiency in Spanish amongst Catalan students is the same as the Spanish average.