We can inform you on all the specific types of schools in Catalunya.
The biggest difference you will find separating two types of schools is whether one is a public or private school (escuela pública en escuela privada).
Public schools usually offer free entry, but you do have to pay yearly for study materials, such as textbooks. Luckily, it is getting more common for parents to put their children’s used books up for sale; this way your expenses won’t be as high.
However little amount is available and thus longer distances must be covered, these days it is also possible to find your children a more alternative and creative school.
Private schools don’t offer free entry. Likewise, there are international schools that teach in English.
Odds are, in both private and international schools, a school uniform is mandatory.
Up till the age of 3 years old, you can take your child to daycare; the prices highly depend on the circumstances.
Next is kindergarten, though in Spain it isn’t compulsory for a child to go to school before the age of six.
Primary school (educación primaria) takes up to six years.
From the ages of 12 to 16, the child is obligated to go to secondary school (educación secundária), also known as the ESO.
After this, two years of the Bachillerato can be taken and is a ‘must’ when planning to move onto any other type of education, such as university.
If you prefer to keep your children out of school, that is a possibility too. There are about 2000 families in Spain who’ve decided to teach their children form home, which is known as homeschooling. In short, this is due to a loophole in the Spanish educative legislation. For more information, contact an organization called the “Plataforma para la Libertad Educativa” (PLE).
Important! Note that, for your children to attend your desired school make sure to sign them up in time!!
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