Education in Spain

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Education in Spain

Ministry of Education

Minister Iigo Mndez de Vigo

General details

Primary languages Spanish alongside co-official languages within

respective regions, including Catalan, Basque and

Galician

System type Democratic Constitutional Monarchy (check for

accuracy)

Literacy (2003)

Total 98.1

Male 98.8

Female 97.4

Enrollment

Total 5,917,074

Primary 2,479,631
 Secondary 1,871,430

Post secondary 1,566,013

Attainment

Secondary 45.4%

diploma

Post-secondary 38.1%

diploma

Education in Spain is regulated by the Ley Orgnica para la Mejora de la Calidad

Educativa (LOMCE, Organic Law of Education) that expands upon Article 27 of the Spanish
Constitution of 1978.[1] Education 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.

Contents
[hide]

1Up to secondary level

o 1.1Primary school

o 1.2Secondary school (ESO, Educacin Secundaria Obligatoria)

o 1.3Spanish Baccalaureate (Bachillerato)

2Comparative with British and Irish Qualifications

3Vocational Training

4Provision and Costs

o 4.1Admissions to publicly funded schools

4.1.1Madrid

4.1.2Extremadura

4.1.3Andaluca

5School terms

6International education

7See also

8References

9External links
Up to secondary level[edit]
Once students have finished their Bachillerato, they can take their University Entrance Exam
(Pruebas de Acceso a la Universidad, popularly called Selectividad) which differs greatly from
region to region. The compulsory stage of secondary education is normally referred to by its
initials: ESO (Educacin Secundaria Obligatoria).
Primary school[edit]
Structured as three year cycles:

First Cycle (6 to 8 years of age)

Second Cycle (8 to 10 years of age)

Third Cycle (10 to 12 years of age)

Secondary school (ESO, Educacin Secundaria Obligatoria)[edit]

Consists of 4 years, structured as two cycles since the Organic Law for improvement of quality of
education of 2013 (LOMCE, Ley orgnica para la mejora de la calidad educativa):

First Cycle: 1st, 2nd and 3rd year.

Second Cycle: 4th year.

The second cycle contains two options: one geared towards the Spanish Baccalaureate, and the other
towards vocational training.

First year Second year

Biology and Geology Physics and Chemistry

Mathematics Mathematics

Geography and History Geography and History

Spanish Language and Literature, as well as the co- Spanish Language and Literature, as well as the co-
official language, where applicable official language, where applicable

First Foreign Language First Foreign Language

Physical Education Physical Education

Religion or Ethical Values Religion or Ethical Values

A choice of between 1 and 4 subjects:

A choice of between 1 and 4 subjects:
 1. Classical Studies
1. Classical Studies
2. Audiovisual, Visual and Artistic Education
2. Audiovisual, Visual and Artistic Education
3. Introduction to Entrepreneurial Activity
3. Introduction to Entrepreneurial Activity
4. Music
4. Music
5. Second Foreign Language
5. Second Foreign Language
6. Technology
6. Technology
7. Religion, only if parents, legal guardians, or
7. Religion, only if parents, legal guardians, or
the student (where applicable) did not choose
the student (where applicable) did not
it in the previous section.
choose it in the previous section.
8. Ethical Values, only if parents, legal
8. Ethical Values, only if parents, legal
guardians, or the student (where applicable)
guardians, or the student (where
did not choose it in the previous section.
applicable) did not choose it in the
previous section.

Third year

Biology and Geology

Physics and Chemistry

Geography and History

Spanish Language and Literature, as well as the co-official language, where applicable

First Foreign Language

Mathematics. Two options: academic or applied.

Physical Education

Religion or Ethical Values

A choice of between 1 and 4 subjects:

1. Classical Studies
2. Audiovisual, Visual and Artistic Education

3. Introduction to Entrepreneurial Activity

4. Music

5. Second Foreign Language

6. Technology

7. Religion, only if parents, legal guardians, or the student (where applicable) did not choose it in the
previous section.

8. Ethical Values, only if parents, legal guardians, or the student (where applicable) did not choose it
in the previous section.

Fourth year (Option 1) Fourth year (Option 2)

Introduction to Bachillerato Introduction to Vocational Education

Geography and History Geography and History

Spanish Language and Literature, as well as Spanish Language and Literature, as well as the co-official
the co-official language, where applicable language, where applicable

Mathematics (academic) Mathematics (applied)

First Foreign Language First Foreign Language

Physical Education Physical Education

Religion or Ethical Values Religion or Ethical Values

Two subjects from the following three options:

Two subjects from the following four
options: 1. Applied Sciences for Professional Activities
2. Introduction to Entrepreneurial Activities
1. Biology and Geology
2. Economics 3. Technology
3. Physics and Chemistry
 4. Latin
A choice of between 1 and 4 subjects from
the following:
A choice of between 1 and 4 subjects from the following:
1. Scenic Arts and Dance
2. Scientific Studies 1. Scenic Arts and Dance
2. Scientific Studies
3. Classical Studies
3. Classical Studies
4. Audiovisual, Visual and Artistic
Education 4. Audiovisual, Visual and Artistic Education

5. Philosophy 5. Philosophy

6. Music 6. Music

7. Second Foreign Language 7. Second Foreign Language

8. Information and Communications 8. Information and Communications Technology

Technology
9. Religion, only if parents, legal
guardians, or the student (where
applicable) did not choose it in the
previous section.
10. Ethical Values, only if parents, legal
guardians, or the student (where
applicable) did not choose it in the
previous section.
11. A subject from the range of main
subjects, which the student has not
taken.
9. Religion, only if parents, legal guardians, or the
student (where applicable) did not choose it in the
previous section.
10. Ethical Values, only if parents, legal guardians, or the
student (where applicable) did not choose it in the
previous section.Una materia del bloque de
asignaturas troncales no cursada por el alumno o
alumna
11. A subject from the range of main subjects, which the
student has not taken.

Spanish Baccalaureate (Bachillerato)[edit]

Main article: Spanish Baccalaureate
Spanish Bachillerato is the post-16 stage of education, comparable to the A Levels/Higher
(Scottish) in the UK, the French Baccalaureate in France or the International Baccalaureate.
There are two parts, a core curriculum with the compulsory subjects, and a specialist part with a
few pre-selected branches to choose from. The core curriculum is as follows:

Spanish Language and Literature: 1st and 2nd years

Co-official language and Literature (in case of Catalan, Basque, Galician and Valencian):
1st and 2nd years

First foreign language (English, French, German or Italian): 1st and 2nd years

Philosophy: 1st year

History of Philosophy: Only 2nd year.

Physical Education: Only 1st year

Spanish History: Only 2nd year

 Science to the contemporary world: Only 1st year

Optional subject (2nd foreign language, psychology, information technology...): 1st and
2nd year

Catholic Religion/All World Religions Studies: 1st and 2nd year (Optional)

The specialist part has up to four subjects (depending on the branch taken).

Plastic Arts, Image and Design:

Volume (sculpture) (optional on the 2nd year)

Artistic drawing

Technical drawing (optional on the 2nd year)

Audiovisual Culture (first year)

History of art (2nd year)

Design (2nd year and optional)

Plastic Graphic Expression Techniques (2nd year and optional)

Information and communication technologies. (Optional)

Performing Arts, Music and Dance:

Musical Analysis (1st and 2nd year)

Applied Anatomy (1st year)

Audiovisual Culture (2nd year)

Performing Arts (1st year)

Musical Language and Practice (1st year)

History of Music and Dance (2nd year)

Music (Optional)

Performing Arts Workshop (2nd year and optional)

Nature and Health Sciences:

Biology

Chemistry

Physics or Earth Sciences

Mathematics

Sciences & Engineering:

Physics,

Maths,

Chemistry,
 Technical Drawing

Industrial Technology

Social Sciences:

Applied Maths,

Economics,

Geography,

History of the Contemporary World (only 1st year)

Humanities:

Latin,

Greek,

History of Art (only 2nd year)

World Literature (only 2nd year)

History of the Contemporany World (only 1st year)

At undergraduate level, some degrees have their own branch requirements (such as medicine,
engineering degrees, law...) and some courses accept students from any branch, such as
Language studies, Social Work, Educational Sciences or Tourism.

Comparative with British and Irish Qualifications[edit]

The Spanish School Leaving Certificate (ESO) is equivalent to a number of GCSEs, Junior Cert
(in Ireland) or Standard Grades (in Scotland).
The Bachillerato is equivalent to A-levels, Leaving Certificate (in Ireland). and Scottish Highers .
Therefore, Spanish students obtaining the appropriate grades required for entrance into
universities in other parts of Europe, including Britain, are not precluded.

Vocational Training[edit]
The vocational training is also a common possibility after ESO or after the Spanish
Baccalaureate. There are two different types of programs: Middle Grade Training Cycles (Ciclos
Formativos de Grado Medio), similar to BTEC Level 3 extended diploma, and Superior-level
Training Cycles (Ciclos Formativos de Grado Superior), similar to BTEC Level 4/5 diploma. After
completion of programs, the students are awarded with a technician diploma.

Provision and Costs[edit]

Schools in Spain can be divided into 3 categories:

State schools (colegios pblicos)

Privately run schools funded by the State (colegios concertados)

Purely private schools (colegios privados)

According to summary data for the year 2008-2009[2] from the ministry, state schools educated
67.4%, private but state funded schools 26.0%, and purely private schools 6.6% of pupils the
preceding year.
All non-university state education is free in Spain, but parents have to buy all of 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 ESO but purely private for the bachillerato years.
This drop in the fraction of pupils in educacin concertada is matched by increases of
approximately equal size in the fraction in both state and purely private education for Bachillerato.
[2]

There are private schools for all the range of compulsory education. At them, parents must pay a
monthly/termly/yearly fee. Most of these schools are run by religious orders, and include single-
sex schools.
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 primary students.[3] In some regions, the autonomous government is giving
tokens to exchange them in book shops for free (due to the economic crisis, this has all but
ceased in Valencia), this is being adapted in 2006 in regions, such as Andalusia, where kids from
3 to 10 will get the books for free, on the following years it is expected for all compulsory years.
School uniform is not normally worn in state schools but is usually worn in private schools.

Admissions to publicly funded schools[edit]

Article 84 of the governing law [4] defines the principles to be applied in the admission of pupils to
publicly funded schools. The details of the implementation of these principles vary
from autonomous community to autonomous community.
Madrid[edit]
In Madrid, there is a largely uniform admissions process for state funded schools, both colegios
pblicos and colegios concertados. Here 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 that
there 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.[5]
Extremadura[edit]
The royal decree governing the same process in Extremadura[6] includes admissions criteria
structured in a very similar way but differing in the number of points allocated, notably for
residence near to the school.
Andaluca[edit]
An analogous decree for 2007 governing the same process in Andalusia[7] is notably different
again in the way it allocates points.

School terms[edit]
Broadly similar to the English three term system, but with slightly shorter holidays
at Christmas (23 December 8 January) and Easter (one week - 40 days after Ash Wednesday),
and longer in the summer (normally from 23 June to 15 September). In 2005, the summer holiday
ran from 22 June until 115 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.

International education[edit]
As of January 2015, the International Schools Consultancy (ISC)[8] listed Spain as having 210
international schools.[9] ISC defines an 'international school' in the following terms "ISC includes
an international school if the school delivers a curriculum to any combination of pre-school,
primary or secondary students, wholly or partly in English outside an English-speaking country, or
if a school in a country where English is one of the official languages, offers an English-medium
curriculum other than the countrys national curriculum and is international in its
orientation."[9] This definition is used by publications including The Economist.[10] In 1977
the International Baccalaureate authorized the first school in Spain to teach the Diploma
Programme.[11] There are now 86 IB World Schools in Spain, of which 71 deliver an international
education but in Spanish.[12]

See also[edit]
Academic Awards in Spain

References[edit]
1. Jump up^ Text (in Spanish) of the Ley Orgnica de Educacin
2. ^ Jump up to:a b Data and Numbers for the year 2008-2009 p4, retrieved 25 February
2009, Ministry of Education, Social Policy and Sport

3. Jump up^ Ambrosoli, Carlos (30 August 2011). "Cunto le va a costar la vuelta al
cole?" (TV news report (video)) (in Spanish). Canary Islands, Spain: Antena 3 Canarias. Retrieved 28
July 2012.

4. Jump up^ La Ley Orgnica 2/2006, retrieved 23 September 2009

5. Jump up^ Annexes to Order Establishing Admissions Process., see Annex IX for criteria
for allocating places, retrieved 17 May 2009, Department of Education of the Community of Madrid

6. Jump up^ Decree 42/2007 - Extremadura., see Annex (there is only one) 'Criterios de
Prioridad Para La Admisin de Alumnos', retrieved 17 May 2009, Boletin Oficial del Estado -
Extremadura

7. Jump up^ Decrehie -----/2007, of the 20th February - Andalucia., retrieved 23 February
2010

8. Jump up^ http://www.iscresearch.com/

9. ^ Jump up to:a b http://www.iscresearch.com/information/isc-news.aspx

10. Jump up^ http://www.economist.com/news/international/21636757-english-language-

schools-once-aimed-expatriates-now-cater-domestic-elites-new

11. Jump up^ http://www.ibo.org/en/country/ES/

12. Jump up^ http://www.ibo.org/en/programmes/find-an-ib-school/?

SearchFields.Country=ES

External links[edit]
Spanish Ministry of Education (Spanish)
The Spanish university system

Spain Study Guide for International Students

Courses and universities in Spain

Schools and Universities Guide to Study in Spain

Spanish Ministry of Education, Social Politics and Sports In Spanish.

 Information on education in Spain, OECD - Contains indicators and information about
Spain and how it compares to other OECD and non-OECD countries

Diagram of Spanish education system, OECD - Using 1997 ISCED classification of

programmes and typical ages. Also in Spanish