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Education is very important for everyone. It is one of the keys to becoming a successful person. This is the avenue where one pursues his career in life. 

It is always believed that every person should have access to an affordable and accessible education from primary to higher education. Once a person is deprived of this, it is just like closing a door on a generation of brilliance and talents.

If you are planning to move to Spain, there are things that you should know about their education. It would be quite difficult to look for schools for your children most especially if there is a communication barrier. However, despite this, you can choose to enroll your child in an international school instead of a government-controlled school.

Here are the things that you should know about Spanish education according to a published article in Expatica:

SPANISH EDUCATION

The quality of education in Spain has improved in the last 25 years because of the government's initiative to increase its funding and its reforms. The improvement of their education was significantly seen in 2015 during the survey conducted by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development through Programme for International Students Assessment (OECD/PISA) where it shows that the performance of the country is above the OECD average in mathematics, science, and reading. Overall, the country ranked 30 out of 70 countries that participated in the said assessment.

LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

Most students in Spain are in local schools because they are free while most foreigners choose an international school where their children can easily adjust. One of the factors, why they choose an international school, is sometimes the communication barrier. Moreover, the age of the child and the time spent in staying in the country are just the least of the factors that you should worry about.

COMPULSORY EDUCATION IN SPAIN

Children and young adults age between 6 to 16 years old are required to attend six years in primary and four years in secondary. Moreover, all students must receive basic vocational training while they still at the secondary level as mandated by their law. The education authorities are also required to help foreign students in attaining this by providing specific programs.

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS IN SPAIN

Spain is one of the countries in Europe that has long holidays. Typically there are two weeks of the holiday very Christmas and another two weeks during Easter. Summer holidays in the country may last from 10 to 11 weeks. Moreover, the school year in the country generally starts every mid of September and ends during the mid of June. However, the school year in the country varies depending on the region.

STRUCTURE OF EDUCATION IN SPAIN

Education in Spain is divided into four categories and two of these are compulsory while the other two are optional. These are

  • Nursery and Pre-school (Optional)
  • Primary Education- (Compulsory)
  • Secondary Education- (Compulsory)
  • Upper Secondary Education- (Optional)

These are just a few of the most important things that you should know about education in Spain if you plan to move into the country or stay for good.