THE SPANISH EDUCATION SYSTEM

CASTILLA-LA MANCHA

June 2011

There are 919 towns in the Autonomous Community (11,3% of towns in Spain)

• 496 towns ≥ 500 inhabitants• 231 between 5001 and 2.000 inhabitants• 157 between 2001 and 10.000 inhabitants• 35 towns more than 10.000 inhabitants

Population: ≈ 46 million (34% under 29) 67.3 % of students enrolled at some educational level

Official languages: official and co-officials

Education System in Spain: some facts:

Legal Framework:2006 Organic Act on Education

o inclusion of basic skills in the basic education curriculum

o establishment of a diagnostic assessment o core curricula o general organization of vocational training o organization : specialized Language Education

and professional Music and Dance Education.

Basic Principles of Organic Act on Education

1. Quality education and Equal opportunities2. Cooperation3. Educational aims of the European Union

1. Public schools2. Private schools:

a) independentb) governmment dependent

(Publicly funded private schools )

Types of schools:

Administrative control:

– Central government– Autonomous Communities– Local Administration– Schools

– Pre-primary education– Compulsory education– Post-compulsory education/upper secondary and

post-secondary level– Higher education

A tour through the Spanish Education System:

Pre-primary education and Compulsary education

Post-compulsory education/upper secondary education

Language teaching, Artistic and Adult Education

Post secondary and Higher education

Pre-primary education/ Compulsory Education

• First six years of childhood and is structured into two stages of three years each.

• Compulsory education– from age 6 to 16– Primary Education, 6 years, which consists of

three stages, each of them lasting two years.– Lower Secondary Education, which consists of

four school years

• Compulsory education lasts 10 years.

• Admissions criteria• Length of school day/week/year• Class size / student grouping• Teacher for all subjects• Curriculum control and content

– the national core curriculum, which implies 65 %. – Autonomous Community draws up its own off icial curriculum adding

35%

• Content areas that make up the curriculum• Religion• Methodology• Own textbooks and other teaching materials• Assessment, progression and qualifications

Some more information

• Equality: Integration and inclusion of pupils• Compensation for Inequality• Special educational needs

TEACHING STAFF IN THE DIFFERENT STAGES

• INFANT EDUCATION

• PRIMARY EDUCATION– music, physical education, foreign languages

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SPANISH EDUCATION SYSTEM STRUCTURE OF MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION

PARTICIPATION SYSTEMS: GOVERNING BODIES AND TEACHER COORDINATION OF SCHOOLS

• THE SCHOOL COUNCIL

• TEACHERS COUNCIL

• MANAGEMENT TEAM

• Head • Director of Studies• School Secretary

• SELECTION OF HEAD

• REQUIREMENTS FOR THE POST OF SCHOOL HEAD

INCORPORATION INTO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

– First year teachers in a public school

– Regulations governing civil servants, establishes three corps of non-university teachers.

– Selection process - competitive examination• Variables are taken into account:

– Knowledge of contents and teaching methodology– The candidate’s academic record and professional experience

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

Mª Isabel Rodríguezmirodriguez@jccm.es