EDUCATION IN Spain
We explore the schooling options for families relocating to Spain, with tips and advice from experts on the ground.
U
nder Spanish law, education is compulsory for children between the ages of six and 16. Responsibility for it is shared between the national government and the
country’s 17 autonomous communities, or regions. There are three types of school: state schools, concertados and private schools (including international schools). State schools are free to attend. Concertados are privately owned and run, and may be secular or non-secular. Tuition is subsidised by the government but there are fees to be paid. At private and international schools, fees are payable.
Established in 2001 by entrepreneur Beatriz Carro de Prada, BRS Relocation Services has offices in Barcelona and Madrid and provides relocation assistance to executives and families coming to Spain from all over the world. Among its clients, pharmaceuticals, software and IT, retail, and telecoms are the industry sectors seeing the greatest numbers of incoming assignees and relocatees.
King's Group
BRS offers the full range of help with education and schooling, including identifying appropriate state, private and international schools, researching the availability of places, arranging appointments, and assisting with application forms and registration.
Parents’ choice of school, Ms Carro de Prada says, depends
on their child’s previous educational experience and how long they plan to stay in Spain. “Families who move frequently from one country to another during the children’s school years tend to stick to an international school following a specific country’s curriculum,” she explains, “so that the children will have some degree of educational continuity regardless of location.” A school offering an internationally transferable programme of study like the International Baccalaureate (IB) may also be a good choice for families who move countries frequently. “If you plan to be in Spain for a number of years,” says Beatriz Carro de Prada, “you may want to enrol your child in a regular Spanish school. If you are thinking of returning to your home country after living in Spain for a short period, you may want to offer your children the experience of a year in a Spanish school, or you may prefer to continue with the kind of programme they were enrolled in back home.”
STATE SCHOOLS
The primary (primaria) stage of school lasts for six years (ages six to 12). It is followed by four years of compulsory lower-secondary education, known as Educación Secundaria Obligatoria, or ESO, between the ages of 12 and 16. This prepares those students who wish to do so to progress to the non-compulsory upper-secondary stage (Formación Post- Obligatoria), where they study for the Bachillerato or undertake vocational training through the Formación Profesional programme, when they reach 16. Comparable to the UK’s A Level and the International Baccalaureate, the Bachillerato is a requirement for university entrance. It is studied over two years and consists of two parts, a core curriculum of compulsory subjects and a specialist curriculum with a choice of ‘branches’, including science and engineering, humanities, social sciences, and performing arts, music and dance.
Entry to state schools is generally by catchment area, a point that parents planning this type of education for their children will need to consider when deciding where to live.
Keep Informed |
relocateglobal.com | 155
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220 |
Page 221 |
Page 222 |
Page 223 |
Page 224 |
Page 225 |
Page 226 |
Page 227 |
Page 228
