TQSHomeschooling your children have become more and more popular in the last few years, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to do.
Between finding a curriculum, scheduling field trips, and dealing with standardized testing, you might feel overwhelmed just thinking about the process of home-educating your children.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t do it or shouldn’t do it if you want to. This article will tell you everything you need to know about homeschooling in Spain.
Is it Illegal to Homeschool in Spain?
Unlike in many other countries, homeschooling is illegal in Spain. Unlike other countries, Spain doesn’t have any restrictions on a parent’s ability to educate their child at home or create an educational environment outside of the typical school system.
However, the laws state that if parents choose to homeschool their children and keep them out of the public schools for six months; they are subject to fines of between 600 and 30,000 euros depending on the court decision and which municipality they live in.
Though homeschooling is illegal in Spain, that doesn’t mean that parents aren’t doing it.
There have been no studies done to determine exactly how many families are choosing to homeschool their children because of a lack of faith in Spanish public schools.
However, some estimate that around 50% of Spanish students are being taught at home, despite homeschooling remaining illegal.
The number may be even higher if you include all non-conventional education options such as full-time boarding schools, online schooling, or virtual school.
The Ministry of Education is required to report any instances of children not attending public school to a judge, who can then decide what punishment you will face.
However, many parents choose to homeschool their children regardless of how likely they are to be caught and fined. If a parent has enough money, they may choose to pay off officials if fines are issued.
Is HomeSchooling allowed in Spain?
Homeschooling is currently illegal in Spain, but many people do it anyway. There are no statistics about the number of homeschoolers in the country, but there have been individual cases, including one documented instance of a family that was banned from attending any school-related events (including parent-teacher conferences) by a regional education authority.
The internet, personal contacts and networks, and media coverage all serve as homeschooling resources.
There are several reasons why homeschooling has been illegal in Spain. One is that it is seen as a challenge to a rigid, centralized educational system.
Another possible reason is that there have been instances of abuse, neglect, and indoctrination in countries where homeschooling was previously practiced.
Yet there are also very positive reasons for allowing homeschooling, such as providing parents with a choice over their children’s education and giving students access to alternative teaching methods.
Other European countries have already legalized homeschooling, so that option is available in Spain should legislators change their minds.
Overall, homeschooling in Spain is still a gray area. It is legal to homeschool, but parents need to be aware of Spanish education law and be prepared for some possible backlash from school authorities.
There are also no official statistics about how many people are doing it or what kinds of legal complications they may face as a result.
It is possible to homeschool in Spain, but many parents do so without even realizing it because they simply inform their child’s school that they will be pulling them out for some or all of the school year.
This way, they are legally complying with education laws while still educating their children at home.
Some parents choose to homeschool in Spain because they want their children to receive a certain kind of education, such as a religious one.
Others pull their kids out of school due to problems with bullying or harassment, while others may be dissatisfied with teaching methods and materials used in class.
Still, others simply prefer an educational environment that’s tailored to their child’s interests and goals rather than those set by a larger school system.
ALSO SEE: Can I Homeschool Myself?
HomeSchooling in Spain
It is somewhat illegal to homeschool in Spain and there are different types of education available for homeschooling parents.
Foreigners who have been living in Spain for a year or more may enroll their children in the Spanish public school system, or they may choose to homeschool them.
The ministry of education offers guidelines and advises parents on how to homeschool legally.
Parents must notify the Ministry of Education if they plan to homeschool by filling out an application form.
After receiving notification, an inspector will come to assess what type of homeschooling will be appropriate for each family.
Parents are not required to follow the curriculum but must provide evidence that learning takes place in the home.
There are about 12 million students enrolled in the Spanish public school system so most families find it easiest to simply enroll their children in regular classes.
One benefit of homeschooling is that this allows one parent to stay at home with young children while another works outside the home.