EDUCATION IN SPAIN

The experience of schooling and living in a foreign country is a stimulating change and a challenge that children relish, and it offers invaluable cultural and educational experiences.

ChidreN become world citizens and are less likely to be prejudiced against foreigners and foreign ideas. This is particularly true when they attend an international school with pupils from different countries, although many state schools also have students from a number of countries and backgrounds, especially in Barcelona, Madrid, and resort towns on the costas.

Before making major decisions regarding your child's future eduction, it is important to consider their ability, character and individual needs.

Information about Spanish schools, state and private, can be obtained from Spanish embassies and consulates abroad, and from foreign embassies, educational organisations and government departments in Spain. Information about local schools can be obtained from town halls (ayuntamientos). The Ministry of Education and Science (Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia) provides a general information service at its central office in Madrid. Telef 902 218 500 http://www.mec.es).

STATE OR PRIVATE SCHOOLS

If you are able to choose between state and private education, ask yourself the following questions in order to make the best choice for your children:

How long are you planning to stay in Spain? If you are uncertain, it is best to assume a long stay. Due to language and other integration problems, enrolling children in Spanish state schools is advisable for a minimum of one or two years, particularly for teenage children who are not fluent in Spanish.
What is the choice of schools in the area you wish to live? For example, it is usually necessary to send your child to a state school near your home. If you are choose a private day school, you must take into account the distance and travelling time from your home to the school.
Do you know where you are going when you leave Spain? This may be an important consideration with regard to your child's language of tuitition and system of education in Spain.
How old is your child and what age will he be when you plan to leave Spain?
What educational level is your child at now and how will he fit into a private school or the Spanish state school system?
How does your child view the thought of studying in Spanish? What language is best from a long-term point of view? Is schooling available in Spain in his mother tongue?
Will your child requiere your help with his studies, and more importantly, will you be able to help him, particularly with his Spanish?
Is special or extra tutoring available in Spanish or other subjects, if necessary?
What are the schools hours? What are the school holiday periods? HOw will these holidays and hours affect your and your family's work and leisure activities?
Is religion an important aspect in your choice of school? Religion is no longer a mandatory subject in Spanish schools.
Do you want your child to go to a co-educational or a single-sex school? Spanish state schools are uusually co-educational.
Should you send your child to a boarding school? If so, in which country?
What are the secondary and further education prospects in Spain or another country?
Are Spanish examinations or the examinations set by prospective schools in Spain recognised in your home country or the country where you plan to live after leaving Spain?
Does a prospective school have a good academic record? Most schools provide exam pass rate statistics.
How large are the classes in a particular school? What is the pupil-teacher ratio? The legal maximum size of classes in state schools is 25 pupils in primary education and 30 in secondary.

Obtain the opinion and advice of others who have been faced with the same decisions as yourself, and collect as much information from as many different sources as possible before making a decision.

Finally, you should discuss the alternatives with your child before making a decision.