INCA Education around the world
Spain : Internal school organisation
- 4.1 First phase: Pre-compulsory, age 0 - 6
- 4.1.1 Organisation of teaching groups
- 4.1.2 Student progression through the phase
- 4.1.3 Class size
- 4.1.4 Teacher specialisation
4.1 First phase: Pre-compulsory, age 0 - 6 [see 3.2.1]
4.1.1 Organisation of teaching groups
In public sector pre-compulsory institutions, children are usually grouped by age. 16 However, in rural schools, where there are often insufficient numbers of children to constitute single-age classes, children are often taught in mixed-age groups.45
4.1.2 Student progression through the phase
Cycles
Pre-compulsory education is divided into two three-year cycles; the first, for children aged 0 to 3 years, is known as educación pre-escolar, whilst the second cycle for 3- to 6-year-olds is known as educación infantil.24
Pre-compulsory institutions are usually required to have a minimum of three units/classes per cycle and to meet a set of basic requirements.16
Progression
Children are usually promoted automatically from one year to the next.29
4.1.3 Class size
The 1990 LOGSE legislation specified maximum child:teacher ratios for this phase of education. These vary, as follows, according to age:
- 0- to 1-year-olds, 8:1;
- 1- to 2-year-olds, 13:1;
- 2- to 3-year-olds, 20:1;
- 3- to 6-year-olds, 25 :1.16
The Government is moving towards improving the ratio for 3- to 6-year-olds to 20:1.32 The most recent child:teacher ratio figures for 3-to 6-year-olds (from the Ministry of Education) are provided below: 45
|
1996/97 |
1997/98 |
1998/99 |
1999/00 |
2000/01 | |
| Overall |
21.0 |
20.6 |
20.1 |
19.7 |
19.7 |
| State schools |
20.5 |
20.1 |
16.6 |
19.1 |
19.1 |
| Private schools |
22.1 |
21.7 |
21.3 |
21.0 |
21.0 |
4.1.4 Teacher specialisation
The 1990 LOGSE legislation introduced the requirement that maestros (pre-school teachers) must have completed a three-year course of professional training, specialising in work with children under the age of 6 years. This training is at the same level as that for teachers training for the primary phase (ages 6-12 years).32
All teachers in state schools are civil servants and maestros are qualified to teach all subjects at this level.29
Of the staff working in non-educational centres or services (such as childcare facilities rather than pre-schools), only the director of the service must have an early years' qualification, (normally a teaching qualification).45
There is no tradition in Spain for paid classroom assistants or nursery nurses at this level, other than assistants for children with special educational needs32 (see section 4.5.4 of the supplement to this Archive, "Spain, special educational provision").
