Will schooling in Spain be compulsory until the age of 18?
In recent years, schooling in Spain has undergone a series of reforms that have sparked debates among the country’s political forces. One of the issues that has become the subject of debate is the introduction of compulsory education until the age of 18. However, the positions of the various parties on this issue differ significantly, making it difficult to reach a consensus in the future.
The Socialist Party (PSOE) supports the idea of introducing a compulsory baccalaureate. This means that after the basic curriculum, high school students will choose a field of study – arts, science, humanities or social sciences. Within the framework of the chosen field, they will have to study from 10 to 12 subjects.
The right-wing Popular Party believes that such a requirement would contradict existing legislation, according to which every Spaniard over the age of 16 has the right to work.
Currently, young people who have reached the age of 16 can continue their education in the sixth form of a senior school or an educational institution providing vocational education.
From the late 90s and throughout the following decade, large numbers of young people interrupted their education after 16 years due to the boom in the tourism and real estate markets. They could find work in construction, bars or restaurants. However, the real estate crisis that occurred in 2008 made these people realize that they did not have the necessary skills to work in other areas. These people became part of the army of unemployed that formed in Spain.
Today, the government and the opposition are trying to prevent a similar situation from happening again. The People’s Party supports the idea of giving all schoolchildren the opportunity to obtain a bachelor’s degree free of charge, in order to encourage graduates to continue their education. However, it should be taken into account that the introduction of compulsory education will be associated with high costs. Representatives of the People’s Party are asking the Socialists to provide information on possible sources of funding.
Socialists, in turn, argue that investing in education will be a good investment. Young people with qualifications will feel more confident in the labor market, which will reduce the likelihood of their continued dependence on the state.
Representatives of the People’s Party suggested that the Socialists could mean making bachelor’s degree programs available to young people up to 18 years old. Such a decision would allow young people to combine work and education, which would give them the opportunity to enter universities in the future.
In Spain, there is a training program called Formación Profesional, which is similar to Russian vocational schools. It offers vocational training instead of a bachelor’s program after basic education. The diploma of such training allows graduates to enter universities. Interest in this form of training in Spain is growing, the number of students enrolled in these programs has increased by 70% this year. If in September last year the number of applicants was 40 thousand, then in September this year it reached 68.3 thousand. The proposed training programs offer 27 professional areas, the number of which will continue to expand.
Spain may follow the example of the UK, where education is compulsory until the age of 18. Young people in the UK can choose between an undergraduate degree, a vocational apprenticeship or an apprenticeship. However, once students reach 16 and complete their foundation programme, they cannot simply leave school and go into work.
