Education in Spain is free (at state schools and government subsidized schools) and compulsory from the ages of 6 to 16, the latter being the minimum legal age for work, although free and mandatory education can be extended to the age of 18 as part of the E.S.O. (Compulsory Secondary Education) under various circumstances: repetition of or missed school year, integration of students coming from abroad, etc.
Infant school (up to 6 years old) is not compulsory although the vast majority of children start their education between the ages of 3 and 6.
This stage is known as the 2nd cycle of Infant Education, which is offered free of charge on an integrated basis by State Schools.
See scheme of our Education system
Education in Spain is decentralized and the educational authorities are transferred to the Autonomous Regions. This implies certain different features in the general scheme, for example, in the Autonomous Regions with another official language, studying this language is compulsory to varying degrees.
If you wish to get more information about the Spanish Education System, please consult the link of our Ministry of Education Culture and Sports
The main objective of the International Welcome Centre is to provide information and support for international researchers who move to the University of Granada. If you are coming with your family and have children of school going age, we will help you to get the appropriate information and support on the administrative procedures associated with the official registration in a school or in a college.
There are three types of schools: public, private and subsidized or Private publicly funded schools.
Public schools are state-owned and free.They are attended by the majority of the population. With respect to bilingual schools, bilingualism is gradually being introduced in public schools.
Private schools are mainly religious (Catholic) or bilingual.
Subsidized or Private publicly funded schools are private schools partially subsidized by state, so its cost is quite low.
The selection of a particular public or subsidized school depends on the area where you reside or work. In subsidized schools the income of parents is also taken into account.
As a general rule, students are required to enrol in the months of March or April preceding the start of the academic year. The cost of school books and material is normally met by the parents.
In Granada, the Delegation for Education is in charge of the administrative issues related to the official registration in a School or in a College.