Ekaterina Khaybullina, 33 years old, hometown — Irkutsk, foreign languages teacher, @catalina1311
About the education system
We live in Mijas city an Autonomous community of Andalusia, Malaga province. We moved in August of 2018. At that time, the youngest child was seven months old, the eldest daughter was seven years old. Therefore, the issue of education was acute for us.
The education system in Spain consists of several stages. The first stage starts in four months and ends at six years old – Infantil. Children are already studying from three to six years. The next one is Primaria — Elementary school from 6 to 12 years old. Then Secondari — high school from 12 to 16 years. All the steps are mandatory in Spain. A child must be educated regardless of citizenship. The next step is optional — Baccieratto, two years of training for a university. The final stage — university.
We chose municipal school between the three types of schools — municipal, private and semi-private. This saves a budget and due to the reviews, in such schools, the child quickly socializes, adapts and learns the language. On the advice of friends, we chose a school close to the home.
My daughter did not study in Russia because it is customary to go to school in seven years. Here, education starts at the age of six, so we did not know whether our daughter would go to the first or second grade. After we had submitted documents, we were informed that the daughter accepted to the second class.
Education in Spanish schools begins on the 10th of September and ends at the end of June. Children go on vacation twice at Christmas and in summer. School day lasts from 09:00 to 14:00. Parents bring their children then all the gates closed and until the end of classes children cannot go outside the school, such an approach is high security. Children are also taken from school by their parents — the teacher passes each child from hand to hand. At 14:00 some children stay for lunch in school. We were denied a place in the dining room because I do not work in Spain.
From 16:00 to 18:00 held additional classes — they are voluntary and paid separately. We attend additional classes twice a week. One type of class costs 15 euros per month. We visit two classes, so our payment per month is 30 euros. On this all our school costs at the school end.
Our school doesn't have uniforms. If the child comes in shorts and flip-flops, it will be normal. Although some municipal schools have uniforms.
The set of disciplines practically does not differ from Russian: mathematics, language, physical education, art also social sciences and civic values. Instead of values, the choice to study religion. A class teacher teaches part of the classes, also to some lessons come to another teacher. Every year the class teacher changes for no bias attitude toward certain students and addictive.
About the advantages
I was afraid adaption for my daughter will be difficult because she did not know the language, and at the same time we did not have the opportunity to go inside the school. Rulers are not carried out here, and we just came on the first day and gave the daughter to the class teacher. Despite all the worries the child came happily from school on the first day. There is a friendly atmosphere in the schools from the teachers and students as well. Everyone tries helping, to prompt. Therefore, we did not have any difficulties with adaptation. From the first days, my daughter had friends. She studied English in Russia, what helped to her in some way. Our school is bilingual, and many children and teachers speak English well.
The main value of the school is the psychological comfort of children, which is a huge difference between our and Spanish schools. There are no pressure and race for grades. Children are not adjusted to one pace to make everyone study in the same way. The study process is next: the teacher writes a task on the board, explains, but each child goes at own pace. Parents adjust that it is unnecessary to demand too much from the child, the main thing is happiness of the child.
No homework. There is a mobile application, and the class teacher gives to parents entrance code, and we have access to correspondence with our teachers. They send classroom task to finish at home. Teachers are positive and make children and parent the same.
Teachers communicate with parents through a diary. Once in the trimester held a meeting to discuss general topics. During meetings teachers never talk about specific students. Through the diary can be requested a meeting with the teacher, and only in this case, the teacher face to face discusses problems or issues related to the child.
During the trimester two tours organized for children. For example, in this trimester, the daughter went to the theatre and the cheese factory. The school organizes events. I remember when at Halloween the kids were supposed to come to the lessons in costumes. Every time everything is fun and colourful. The children had bright impressions.
About the disadvantages
We like Spanish schools. Of course, there are certain nuances to which Russian parents pay attention because we are not used to. For example, no one watches whether the child washed hands before eating or not. Children sit on the cold floor during physical education and break when they eat. Here it is normal. If in the warm season there is nothing wrong, in winter the stone floor is cold.
Aliya Makhmetova, 33 years old, hometown — Tashkent, the student of the Arts Academy, fashion designer, @alizeeli_
About the education system
We live in the small town Albacete in the South-East of Spain. We moved here with my daughter from Astana. After the divorce, I stayed with my daughter, who was five years old. Then I met the love from Spain.
My daughter graduated from the first grade in Astana, in Spain she went to public school. At that time she was seven years old. In Spain, the class determined by age, so she went to the third. Half the subjects in English, plus she had to learn Spanish, so the first few months was the hardest, but then things got better. In Spanish schools, foreign children provided with an assistant teacher who helps the child with the subjects, teach to speak another language.
About the advantages
After daughter had graduated from the third grade, she stayed at the same grade. In Spain, it means to repeat the grade, and here it is often practised. About 70% of the students remained to repeat the year. This didn't consider shameful, no one will laugh or point fingers. From students to teachers and parents, everyone refers to this normally.
In Astana, in the first class, the emphasis was on penmanship with no blots in home notebooks. In Spanish school, if they see the notebook is neat, it means at home you did not think and simply rewrote everything. In the notebook should be scuffs and the process of solving tasks. Turned out that on the mathematics they are a studying division of multi-digit numbers to a three-digit number. Previously, we started studying such tasks from the fifth to sixth grade, but not in the fourth.
The child does not study in the same class constantly, every year the class separated. Half of the children stay in the same class, but the other half comes from a parallel class. This made to develop children's communication skills. Because of this, children are becoming friends and easily communicate. The teacher is also changing.
Homework is given, but not much. And often teachers warn parents that if a child does not understand anything, you don't do the work for a child. Children do not submit notebooks to check homework because tasks are dismantled in the classroom the next day.
The Spanish school has a ten-point grading system. Only exams are grading. Examinations held five times during the semester and at the end of each quarter. The child repeats the grade if has three grades below five at the end of the year.
During the big break, which lasts 30 minutes, children go outside to the schoolyard to eat and play. And no breaks after.
About the disadvantages
In my opinion, the disadvantage of local schools is children are not fed at school. Every morning I prepare lunchbox to daughter. On the other hand, children of different nationalities study at school, and for each would be needed to make a separate menu. The school has a dining room, but there can only go those children whose parents do not have time to pick them up at 14:00. This lunch is paid. Parents at the beginning of the year sign the application and pay for lunch for the year.
Violetta Dylanyan, 31 years old, housewife, @violetta_mama_spain
About the education system
I have been living in Spain since 2013. I married a Russian-speaking Spanish citizen who has lived here for more than 20 years. We live in a small town Arnedo with a population of 14 thousand people.
We have two sons: five years and two years old. The eldest goes to public school. Children are recruited in school when they turn three. Classes start in early September, each year date is different.
Lessons schedule from 09:00 to 17:00 with lunch break from 13:00 to 15:00. If parents want then for an additional fee of about 60-70 euros per month, children can be left at school for lunch.
About the advantages
Lessons held in a friendly atmosphere, children not pressured, to each found an individual approach. Children enjoy going to school. In the classroom, children draw, make crafts, sculpt from clay, play and practice. Every day they go outside to the yard, run, jump and just having fun. Nevertheless, it can be uncalled a kindergarten. They are not sleeping there.
Children should go to school in comfortable clothes and shoes, and they do not wear replaceable shoes in winter or summer. Children under six go wearing overall with a name on it at school not to get dirty. After classes overall left at school and taken home only on Fridays for washing. Every day parents prepare breakfast for the child: fruit, sandwich, yoghurt, not only sweets. Every child has own cup to drink water at school.
My son is five years old, now he is in the third preparatory class. In September he will go to the first class — Primaria. He already knows how to write a little, reads the syllables.
In Spanish schools most importantly is for children to be comfortable, happy child he wants to learn. And I can say, it works.
About the disadvantages
In winter and summer, children can sit on the asphalt, on the borders. In my opinion, this is the only disadvantage of local schools.
