The Educational System in

Catalonia

Education in Catalonia

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� Free from the age of 3 to16 and compulsory from 6 to 16

� Tuition is mostly in Catalan but children complete their compulsory education with the mastering of both Spanish and Catalan and an adequate level of at least one foreign language .

� Equality of opportunities and social integration are the guidelines of Catalan Education

0 to 3 Nursery School

3 to 6 Infant Education

6 to12

Primary Education (compulsory)

12 to16

Compulsory Secondary Education

Organization

12 to16

Post-CompulsorySchooling

Batxillerat= A-Levels

School Calendar

From September to June – divided into 3 terms:� 1st term : from September to Christmas Holidays (15 days)

� 2nd term: from January to Easter Holidays (10 days)

� 3rd term: from Easter Holidays to the end of JuneSummer Holidays include July and August and the first week of September

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Basically, 5 different kinds of schools� Nursery schools

� Primary schools 9 levels - 3 Infant Education - 6 Primary Education

� Secondary schools 4 levels – (SIN)

� Comprehensive Schools (Infant + Primary + SecondaryEducation ) (Institut Escola)

� High Schools (Institut) 4 levels of Secondary Education2 levels of Batxillerat (A-levels)

2 levels of different specialities of Professional

Schooling (Middle Grade) CFPGM2 levels of different specialities of Professional

Schooling (Upper Grade) CFPGS

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From 0 to 12

� Nursery schools From 4 months to 3 years,

we find them in most little villages

� Primary schools 9 levels:

- 3 years for Infant Education P3, P4 & P5

- 6 years Primary Education.

In many villages where there are at least 6 children. (Cyclic schools)

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From 12 to 16

� Secondary schools (SIN)� 4 levels ESO (Educació Secundària Obligatòria)

Secondary Compulsory Education :

Once completed these 4 years, students get the Certificate of Graduate in ESO.

(A kind of GCE- O Level)

In some schools they start a 2nd Foreign LanguageIn the 4th year they do a Group Research Work - worth

10% of their grades.

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From 3 to 16

� Institut Escola Infant

+ Primary

+ Secondary Education� Kind of Comprehensive Schools Mostly found :

in big villages, where there are students enough (30/40), in the 6th year of Primary Education, to ensure at least one group per level of Secondary Education.

in towns where there has been a recent need for schooling.

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From 12 to 18 or more

High Schools (Institut)

only found in towns

They offer:

� 4 years of Secondary Educationgiving access to

� 2 years more of post- compulsory Education

in most of them both

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either2 levels of Batxillerat (A-levels)

giving them access toUniversity or

or 2 levels of different specialities of Professional Schooling (Middle Grade) CFPGM

2 levels of different specialities of Professional Schooling (Upper Grade) CFPGS

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Catalan – for newcomers

Spanish – for foreigners

Foreign Languages (EOI – Escola Oficial d’Idiomes/Official State School for Languages)

Basic Tuition in Mathematics and Language

ESO for Adults- preparation to the equivalent of “GCE”/ Certificate of Graduation in Secondary Education

Preparation to the different Access Exams (eitherUniversity or Upper Grade Professional Schooling)

Informatics

Adult Education

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