Educational equivalence Canada - Spain

Both Canada and Spain have complex education systems, each with their own distinctive features, but they are similar in their approach to curriculum adaptation. You can see a summary in the following table.

Education in Spain is government funded and is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16. However, the students’ parents or legal guardians are still responsible for the school stationery, textbooks and uniforms. There are three types of schools: public, which are government funded; private, internally funded; and semi-private, which receive funds from the government and privately.

Once the students complete this compulsory period (composed of Primary and Secondary Education), they can then continue their studies in Bachillerato (grade 11 and 12) or medium and/or higher Vocational Training. Only those students who complete these studies will have access to university education.

While in the compulsory Secondary Education (in Spanish, ESO), students are 12 to 16 years old. This stage is meant to help students develop critical thinking and other skills that will aid them in their adult life, such as teamwork and leadership. During Bachillerato (grade 11/12), they focus more on the acquisition of specific knowledge, related to whatever field the student chooses: arts, science and technology, humanities or social sciences.