education in spain

[brokenglass]

Hi,my two and a half year old will soon be starting school in September.We are in Spain,do any of you have children who go to school in Spain could you tell me what us expected of them?
Also is it a legally required to send them at age three because I have heard you don't have to send them as young as three but other people have told me its the law.
Thanks.

Hi
No, it isn´t a legal requirement to send them to school at 3, compulsory education startts at 6 which is the first class of Primaria. However, I don´t know of anybody who doesn´t send their children as by not doing so you then risk not finding a place for subsequent years. Also, the child would be put in their corresponding age year group which means that will have missed the first three years of Infantil which puts them at a disadvantage both socially and academically.

DS1 started school in Spain when he was 2.9months (December birthday) and I was out of my mind as in my opinion he was far too young. He had to go full time too which was 9-1, 2 hour lunch break and them 3 -4.30 - ludicrous! However, he is now coming to the end of the Infantil section and I am very pleased with the progress he has made and by how well he settled in. Was he too young? Probably... but I didn´t feel I had much option due to the reasons I mentioned above and because of the lack of alternative provisonal for toddlers in Spain.

In terms of what is expected of them...for the first year there is a lot of play, lots of colouring, vocabulary, story-telling etc and no formal learning as such. In the 2nd year they introduce letter recognition and the children start to write capital letters and their name. It isn´t until the 3rd year that they introduce reading and cursive writing and by the end of the year they are expected to do both.

Whereabouts in Spain are you?

Thanks for your reply,We are in Mallorca you have put my mind at rest as far as what they are expected to do in the first year.
My daughter won't be three until November,I think the hours of school here are only 9-2.

No problem! It´s good that you have the 9-2 school day, much much better in my opinion. Good Luck!