types of school

There are several kinds of public schools in Spain, although all fall into the general categories of primary, secondary, and adult language academies.

  • EEI - Pre-K (ages 3-6)

  • CEIP - primary school (ages 3-12)

  • CEPR - primary school (ages 6-12)

  • IES - secondary school (ages 12 -16 or 18)

  • EOI - Official Language School (adults)

There are five bilingual classifications that refer to the length of time the school has formed part of the bilingual initiative: from “year zero” to “year four.” There are French, German, and English bilingual schools.  Almost all CIEE participants will be placed in English bilingual schools; French-Canadians who participate will be placed in French bilingual schools.

The first public schools became bilingual during the 2005-06 school year and there will be more than 500 bilingual schools in Andalusia by the start of the 2009-10 school year. Those first schools were considered “year zero” in 2005-6 and will be “year four” in 2009-10. Schools that became bilingual and went through the “year zero” phase in 2006-7 will be “year three” in 2009-10, and so forth. There will be approximately 120 schools that will become bilingual next year and considered “year zero” in 2009-10.

bilingual year zero schools

When a school wishes to become bilingual, the staff must submit a project to the regional government detailing the school’s objectives, resources, and goals. If its application is accepted, the school enters the bilingual “year zero” phase the following year and receives a Language and Culture Assistant to help them prepare for the project ahead.

During “year zero,” there are no content courses taught in the target foreign language (French, German, or English). The Language and Culture Assistant works with students in foreign language classes and help the teachers who will be teaching in that language the following year to prepare the materials they will need.

bilingual year one to four schools

Participants placed in schools that are “year one” to “year four” will work in foreign language classes as well as alongside local Spanish teachers covering a wide variety of subjects such as history, science, music, and physical education taught partially in the target language. All Language and Culture Assistants placed in primary and secondary schools will also be responsible for helping their fellow teachers improve their English/French language abilities.

official language schools

Official language schools (Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas) are very different from primary and secondary schools. They are public schools, which is why they receive Language and Culture Assistants, but they are dedicated solely to teaching modern languages to adults and do not offer any other courses. Participants placed in official language schools will assist in English classes of all levels, helping Spanish adults who want to improve their English abilities for professional or personal reasons. The official language schools do not receive the title of “bilingual” nor are they classified by year. There are official language schools throughout Andalusia: all offer English and many offer other languages as well, such as French, Chinese, Arabic, or Italian.