Secondary School Education is Spain is divided into two consecutive cycles: the ESO and the Baccalaureate. The ESO (Enseñanza Secundaria Obligatoria or Compulsory Secondary Education) lasts for four years after the stage of Primary Education; is compulsory for all Spaniards between the ages of twelve and sixteen; and provides the necessary training to continue with both the Baccalaureate and middle-grade Vocational Training. On completing Compulsory Secondary Education, students can attend a variety of middle-grade Vocational Training modules, or attend the Baccalaureate, which is composed of two preparatory courses for university entrance, up to the age of eighteen. Secondary Education in Castilla y León takes place at public institutions (Institutos de Enseñanza Secundaria - I.E.S. or Secondary Education Institutes) or in private schools or colleges, and is administered autonomously by the Junta de Castilla y León regional government though its Consejería de Educación (Department for Education).
The Junta de Castilla y León has established a programme to encourage exchanges between Secondary Education Institutes (I.E.S.) from Castilla y León and high schools in the United States and Canada, aimed at E.S.O and Baccalaureate students. These exchanges take place for short periods (approximately three weeks) or longer periods (approximately eight weeks), integrating the students into the educational system of the corresponding country. The exchanges do not just occur in terms of education, but especially in terms of linguistic and cultural immersion, and they comprise a very rewarding experience both for the students and the teachers, as well as for the educational centres themselves.
If you are a Spanish teacher or form part of the administrative staff of a high school in the United States or Canada, and are interested in starting up one of these exchange programmes, ADE Internacional Excal can help you find the ideal partner and support your initial contact with the Department for Education.
