Spanish Education

The Spanish education system is not much different from that of the US. The schooling is divided into infant education, primary education and secondary education. This is then followed by university education which is at three levels. The first level degree would be a three-year diploma whereas second level degrees, equivalent to  what we know as graduate degrees, can take anywhere between four to six years including the first level.

Students also have the option of doing the second level for one to three years excluding the first level. Following this, students in the Spanish education system can also choose to pursue a Doctoral degree, which is part of the third level degrees in universities. The past two decades have seen many reforms in the Spanish education system which has led to vast improvements in the field.

In the 80s, private schools accounted for almost 40 percent of the total number of schools. But schools other than those run by religious institutions did not fare so well and gradually the government had to intervene to ensure that all schools were on par in terms of the quality of education provided.

In order to achieve this, the socialist government of Felipe Gonzalez, who stayed in power from 1982–1986, introduced three major education reform laws. One of these stipulated compulsory education of 10 years. Also, the Spanish education system saw more technical subjects and foreign languages being brought into the curriculum.

It is Spain’s Ministry of Education and Culture that is charged with the educational programs at universities besides granting official recognition to private institutions. Under the Spanish educational system, admissions to institutes of higher education require aspirants to pass a national level entrance examination which is held each summer. High scores are of the utmost importance if one is to get into a university or course of one’s choice. Doctoral programs are regulated by the state whereas master’s degree programs are the responsibility of the universities.