Child-friendly schools, education for independence and acceptance

If you want to settle down on the sunny coast of Spain, the Costa del Sol, for a longer or shorter period of time, and you have children in your family, it really isn't difficult. Perhaps nowhere else in the world can you find so many international schools in one place as on the Malaga-Marbella line. But if we choose from among the Spanish public schools, we will not touch them either, our children are also raised to be independent, accepted and, what is most important: they are allowed to be children.

Kindergarten - Escuela Infantil

Pre-primary education is divided into two parts, as in Hungary: nursery school up to the age of 3 - Guardería, and kindergarten up to the age of 3-6 - Escuela Infantil. This form of education is not compulsory, but the Spanish state operates many high-quality institutions. The maximum number of each group is 25 people. English education starts in kindergarten, which can be supplemented with optional extra lessons. Private nurseries or kindergartens differ from public ones mainly in that the "education" takes place in two languages, usually 50% to 50% English and Spanish.
State and foundation kindergartens are free, but an admission application must be submitted. Of course, you have to pay for meals and special activities, but neither is mandatory. The private kindergarten has a tuition fee, but on top of that, the parents buy the uniform, workbooks and pay for the meals separately, which is mandatory. You usually have to arrive at the kindergartens between 8:50 and 9:00, which often causes traffic jams, but the police help the traffic and in a few minutes the traffic continues smoothly around the kindergartens and schools.

Primary school education

Elementary education is compulsory and free in public schools for children aged 6-12. It is divided into three two-year cycles: 1st cycle: up to 6-8 years old, 2nd cycle: up to 8-10 years old, 3rd cycle: up to 10-12 years old.
The maximum class size is 25 people. It ensures the acquisition of general knowledge for children (culture, communication, writing, reading and arithmetic).
The initial tuition fees of private schools range from 500 to 1,100 euros/month. Schools with a Spanish education system - Spanish-English bilingual up to the 6th grade - may be easier to finance for a Spanish middle-class family. The English Cambridge schools are much more expensive, they teach in English, but they also teach Spanish at a high level, and they have Spanish lessons for the children every day. In private schools, in addition to teaching in English and Spanish, one or two foreign languages ​​are introduced in the 1st grade, some in the 3rd grade. This is usually French and German.
Since there are so many people of different nationalities living together in Marbella and its surroundings, it is not surprising if 20 or even 67 children of different nationalities study at a school (mostly private schools) at the same time. In these schools, they are very open to cultural differences, which of course is only good for the children, as they are taught to accept and respect others.

Secondary education

Secondary education - which lasts 4 years - is divided into two periods of two years each. The first stage includes a common core curriculum and some optional subjects. In the second cycle, several optional subjects appear, but their level is not decisive for the student's future learning direction. The training is attended by people between the ages of 12 and 16.

Bachillerato - Preparation for graduation

It offers a two-year course and is divided into four main fields of study – technical sciences, humanities and social sciences, natural and health sciences and the arts. In addition to optional subjects, students follow a common core curriculum in all four directions. The preparatory training for the baccalaureate is between the ages of 16 and 18. Bachillerato: students are assessed according to subject areas, taking into account the requirements and assessment criteria of the course of study. To obtain the Bachillerato certificate, students must pass all subjects.
In private schools, in addition to the Spanish baccalaureate, it is also possible to obtain the international baccalaureate, which is done in English. If the student wishes, he can take the Spanish and international baccalaureate subjects at the same time. This way, you will have the opportunity to continue your studies at foreign universities.

Higher education

The Spanish university system consists of 49 public universities, 14 private universities and 4 Catholic universities. Training and qualifications depend on the type of institution.
The universities offer three-cycle training:
Basic education (Grado)
Master's degree (Master)
Doctoral (PhD) program (Doctorado)

The three-cycle training started in the 2008-2009 school year. The school year usually starts in the last week of September and ends in the first week of June, with an average of 20-30 teaching hours per week. A high school graduation certificate, in addition to an entrance exam, is definitely required for admission.
The application form and other necessary documents must be submitted to the institution where the student wishes to study (upper secondary school certificate, secondary school certificates of EU member states).
Higher education is subject to tuition fees. Students are obliged to pay tuition in the credit value of the subjects taken. Each year, the Ministry of Education determines a budget. The autonomous communities where the university is located determine how much is to be paid for the studies.
The Ministry of Education provides a number of scholarships and grant opportunities to students who meet the prescribed requirements. The amount and possibility of the subsidies largely depends on the family's financial situation and the student's academic results.

Personal experiences of mothers

Victoria :

"My little girl attends the Alboran English-Spanish bilingual private school in Marbella, but before that we also tried the kindergarten. In the case of both, our experiences are very good, even though we are only in the first grade at school. Tuition is 7-800 euros per month, plus books. The main language in this school is Spanish, but certain subjects are taught in English and more and more such subjects are introduced as the years progress. Education is project-based, each trimester has its own project. It's fantastic that the children have to give performances from the beginning, so they learn to act very quickly and it becomes natural for them. I really like that they raise children to be attentive and sensitize them to one phenomenon at a time. They organize gatherings, raise awareness of the environment and, of course, acceptance of otherness. They can play a lot of different sports here, the school has its own swimming pool, horse riding and padel courts. "

Cilla:

"My daughter just finished the third grade at a small village Spanish school in Manilva. Enrollment was very easy, in the case of public schools, enrollment is based on residence in the same way as at home. Since my little girl never learned Spanish - she was five years old when we moved out - she was taught the language separately for a year and a half. There are small classes of about twenty people, and a new teacher teaches the children every year. My daughter is learning both English and French. The lessons last from 9 to 12, in one and a half hour increments, so the children have to sit more than at home, but the school is shorter. Afternoon classes and supervision must be paid for, otherwise only a very minimal foundation contribution must be made to the school. Textbooks are free in public schools. Education is project-based, students are not overloaded with homework. They believe that children should remain children until the age of 12, play at home, and not be burdened. We really like this attitude, because they love going to school, they don't experience it as a burden, like at home."

Réka:

“My two daughters attend the British International School in the center of Marbella. The building is located on a hill, the view of the sea is fantastic, but that's not why the children gladly take their school bags on their shoulders every morning. This international private school is fantastically family-friendly, the director greets the children at the gate every day, and has a kind word for everyone. The language of education is English, according to the British system. There is also Spanish class every day. They educate for life: children gain independence, courage, a broad perspective and self-confidence in every single lesson. Education is project-based, a topic is worked out together, in small or large groups, or even individually and presented. In this way, the curriculum is better preserved, they do not strive for lexical knowledge. The tests are concentrated for one week at a time, there is no constant excitement about the papers, they are prepared purposefully. The subjects are studied in blocks, which is very useful, so for example there is no separate biology-physics-chemistry, there is a science subject, so one phenomenon can be examined from several perspectives in the classes. The children are easygoing, not stressed, full of self-confidence and happiness, this is the real school with capital letters!"