Have you ever wondered what education is like in Madrid? What types of education systems coexist? Surely, above all, you are interested in knowing the school that best suits the needs of your children.
The school offer is very varied, there are public, private and charter schools. And those that follow a foreign educational system like the American or German school or those that follow the Spanish educational system.
ACCORDING TO THE OWNERSHIP, we find private, public and charter schools.
—Which influences the fees we have to pay —thinks outloud Almudena.
—The private ones agree on the price following the policy of each school, the public ones are free (they depend on the Autonomous Community of Madrid – CAM-) and the charter ones are subsidized by the CAM only in the stages of compulsory education but their management is private—summarizes Paloma.
—And, also, in the process of access or admissions.
—The public and charter follow a procedure regulated and inspected by the CAM Education Council based on a series of scales to allocate free places.
—So getting into the most popular schools is very complicated.
—On the other hand, in private schools the whole procedure is much more flexible.
A second classification that we must take into account is ACCORDING TO THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM. Thus we can distinguish between schools that follow the Spanish educational system and those that follow a foreign educational system.
—And to complicate the situation a little more, within the Spanish system we find international schools, bilingual schools, religious schools, etc. —brings up Almu.
—Let us clarify a few points: —adds Palo setting the record straight.
—Bilingual schools are public schools that follow the Spanish curriculum and that half of the subjects are taught in another language, generally English.
—And some of the teachers are native speakers.
—On the other hand, international schools also follow the Spanish educational system, they are private schools where half of their teaching time is devoted to a second language, mostly English.
—The biggest difference between bilingual and international schools is ownership and what this entails especially in the management of the school.
There are numerous schools that follow a foreign educational system. They are centres that depend on and follow the educational curriculum of their respective countries. For example, there are schools from France, Germany, Italy, USA, UK, China, Switzerland, Japan, etc.
—It should also be noted that almost all of charter ones are Catholic while the public ones are secular.
—And in most private schools there is the possibility of receiving a Religion subject.
—Although it’s not compulsory.
—And don’t forget that there are schools of other religious denominations like the Jewish one.
The best way to begin to examine the different options and learn about the differences between them is in the Education web of the Community of Madrid, unfortunately only in Spanish. Here you will find all the schools in Madrid and, in addition, it is where you have to process the admissions for the public and private schools.
Once you have located the schools that you are most interested in, browsing their website will help you get more information before you arrange a must-have visit to meet the teachers and see the facilities.
Two tips: first, observe students in breaks and when leaving school. And, second, before you move, it’s a good idea to have at least one private school option.
If you plan to move soon, you’ll find this in more detail along with other essential info to achieve a smooth landing in The secret of relocating to Madrid. If, in addition, you need help with the organisation or if you prefer we accompany you, check out our services.
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