To Study or Not to Study: A Look at Education in Spain

Fran Glaría | Traveling Steps

Spain offers so many choices for students as they move through the educational system.
Image | Fran Glaría

In Spain, a child has to attend school from the age of 6 until 16. By the time they have finished these mandatory 10 years, they are required to have attained a minimum level in Mathematics, World History and Spanish Literature/Grammar, together with a basic  knowledge of Chemistry, Biology, and an understanding of World Geography. You also have to be able to communicate in English.

Once they turn 16, they can then choose between three different paths in life:

Option A: They can start working.
I know this might sound crazy to American readers, but in Spain, you aren’t permitted to work before the age of 16.  We aren’t allowed to deliver newspapers, bag groceries at the local supermarket, or even help on the family farm. By law we cannot work at all.

However, everything changes when you turn 18. You can vote. You can be sent  to jail. You can “finally” get your driving license (this typical birthday gift from 18-year-olds from their parents costs about 2000€). Most important of all, you no longer need your parents’ permission if you want to work.

According to Spanish law, parents have to provide financial support for their children until they can support themselves—no age limit is determined.  To me, it comes as no surprise that  the average age of emancipation in Spain is 29 years old. With three children, God help me!

Option B: Formación Profesional, the Spanish equivalent to vocational training in the US.
This system of vocational studies was created in 1990 to help students acquire the skills to become a plumber, hairdresser, mechanic electrician etc. Back then, this wasn’t  considered a positive option—it was only considered suitable for the “dropouts.”

Vocational school is a popular and viable option for many young adults in Spain.
Image | Anthony Shkraba, Pexels

Thankfully the social perception of these programmes of study has changed a lot.  You attend class for three or four years, and courses now contain as much theory as practical skills.  By the time you graduate, you will be very well trained, and companies will be fighting over you: 75% of graduates secure a job right after graduating from school. 

Today there are over 60 different options to choose from. In addition to traditional courses, you can now study big data, marketing, graphic design, cooking, and quite a bit more. The curricula of these options are so close to some college degrees that once you finish your second year, you are able to transition directly to university.

As you can imagine, this option has become extremely popular.  

Option C - If you want to go to university, you have to study for two more years in school—this is the equivalent to junior and senior years in high school in the US.  I completed my senior year in the USA (¡Hola, Bakersfield!), and the biggest difference to me is that here in Spain, those two extra years are the hardest ones of your school career. 

Spain offers four paths of studies (Mathematics, Science, Arts, and Human Studies). The  pathway that you choose will determine which college degree you are eligible to apply for.  For example, if you want to become a doctor, you cannot choose the arts line, but must follow the science path. This is crazy to me. ¡Virgen Santa! How is a 16-year-old supposed to make this decision—most kids have no idea what they want to next week, let alone what they want to do with the rest of their lives!

To top all of this, the week after you take your final exams in senior year, there is a national test called Selectividad. It takes place at the same time all over Spain, and kids can be tested on anything from any subject across their high school years. The result from these tests will determine which university they can apply to—no pressure! By the way, if the kid has the flu or a temperature, no one cares. The test won’t be offered again until  the following year. Trust me, you don't want to be anywhere near a stressed-out teenager during this week!

You might be wondering about the price of attending university in Spain. Some of our best institutions of higher education are public. For example, if you want to become a doctor, a good public university will  cost around 1000€ per year, books included. The problem is that there are only 100 kids admitted  to each university each  year, so you’ll need to have attained an A+ across all subjects in high school (including gymnastics or singing) and will also need an A+ in all components of the selectividad tests.

Image | Dollar Gill, Unsplash

If you want to go to a private institution, beside your good grades, you also have a personal interview, and your parents will be interviewed as well. The price per year for a good private university to study medicine will be 30,000€, everything included.

Here in Spain, there are barely any scholarships. We can apply for some that are sponsored by the European Union, but most of the private ones will only cover 1000€ per year. The exception is a very prestigious scholarship sponsored by INDITEX (the company that owns Zara retail stores), and it covers all university expenses.  Private scholarships are also available post-graduate studies.   

According to de OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), 60% of the population between the age of 25 and 65 have a college degree but just 30% have a professional education degree. This has become a major problem in Spain. We have too many lawyers, engineers and doctors, and barely any  skilled workers. In fact, the highest unemployment rates are in the more  highly educated workforce but where is a plumber when you need one?