Schooling in Spain - the
education system in Spain
Education for children of expats in Spain - choosing
a Spanish school
Schools in Spain by: Susan Pedalino
When relocating to Spain with
children, one of the difficult decisions that you have to make
concerns their schooling. Any choices that you make will impact on
your child’s future and may determine a very different outcome to
what might have been, had you stayed in the UK. For obvious reasons,
the older the child, the more difficult the situation. However, even
moving with very young children and trying to settle them into a new
nursery may be disruptive for a while.
You will likely hear all kinds of hearsay from
other expats about which is a good school and which is a bad one. You will hear
parents’ stories about their children having nightmares whilst at a particular
school. I hear, especially, on the Costa del Sol, tales of schools being used as
a cover up for all kinds of criminal activity. Try not to be influenced by other
peoples’ experiences and do your own research.
As an expat in Spain, depending on where you
are living, you have a few options. If you want your children to follow the
British education system and ultimately take GCSE’s and A- levels, than you will
be looking for fee paying international schools. These tend to be bilingual,
some with less emphasis on the Spanish language than others. With regards to
language, they all use different timetables. Some might teach all in English,
with one or two hours a day being taught in Spanish, others may do English in
the morning and Spanish in the afternoon.
Such schools are increasingly popular with
Spanish parents who want their children to learn English to native level. Some
international schools are more ‘international’ with others as nationalities
generally include English, German, Russian, South American, Dutch and Spanish.
There are schools, particularly on the Costa del Sol which are predominantly
English. The age range for international schools depends on the size of the
school. Some cover pre-school to sixth form i.e. 3- 18, whereas other might only
be 3 – 7. If at three, you feel that your child is too young for school, there
are also international kindergartens that take children from 1 – 6.
There are also Spanish private schools, where
children are taught entirely in Spanish and most of the other children in their
class will be Spanish. They follow the Spanish system and tend to be cheaper
than the more British international schools.
Finally, the ‘free’ option is the state system
otherwise known as public schools. Again, children will only be taught in
Spanish with English taught as a foreign language as French and Spanish are in
the UK. The older the child, the more difficult it will be for him or her to
adapt to a new language, system and culture. The attitude of the parents also
plays a part in the adaptation period. It helps if the parents can speak Spanish
and have an understanding of the Spanish culture in order to communicate with
class teachers etc. Likewise, the ability to speak Spanish will also allow you
to support your child with their homework, you will be able to read letters sent
home which will not be in English and your child’s school life will not be so
alien to you.
Many people who send their children to the
local, public schools are often very proud of the fact that their children grow
up to be completely bilingual. However, parents must not overlook that speaking
English is one thing but reading and writing is another. At a Spanish public
school and a Spanish private school your child will not be taught to read and
write in English. It is up to the parents to ensure that the child learns to
read and write in English outside of school time, as it is not the
responsibility of the school.
Your child’s education is one of the biggest
decisions you will have to make about life in Spain. Choosing a home is quite
simple in comparison. In Spain, it is illegal not to send a child of six years
upwards to school, so home-schooling is not an option, as it is in the UK. Talk
to those whose opinion you trust, have a look around the different schools.
Unfortunately, you can’t really go touring around the public schools as you are
lucky to have a look around even if your children are pupils!
There are so many advantages for British
children growing up in Spain that will no doubt benefit them in the future
wherever they decide to live. Nevertheless, I do come across people who return
to the UK for a free education system that they understand.
About the author
Susan Pedalino is Masters degree qualified in Intercultural Communication
and teaching English as a foreign language. Susan regularly writes for Eye
on Spain (www.eyeonspain.com).
Having moved to Spain to set up a business and buy property, she has gained
invaluable experience in buying off plan property in Spain.