Andalucía Offers Almost 4,000 Additional Preschool Places

Andalucía Offers Almost 4,000 Additional Preschool Places

Andalucía Offers Almost 4,000 Additional Preschool Places Credit: Pixabay

ANDALUCIA offers almost 4,000 additional preschool places compared with 2020
The Ministry of Education in the Community of Andalucía has confirmed that a total of 125,585 places will be available in the next academic year in the first cycle of Early Childhood Education – that’s 3,799 more positions than were available the previous year. In addition, 51 centres for children aged between 0 and 3 years of age have been added for the 2021/2022 academic year.
While schooling for this age group is not compulsory in Spain, it is considered by many experts to be an important part of development and an often essential preparation for the transition into primary school. Moreover, many leaders in the field believe that accessing a preschool is vital for cognitive development and has a direct impact on their future academic performance. Nevertheless, the European Union recommends an enrolment average of 33 per cent for this age group, and Andalucía currently has the fourth highest enrolment rate in all of Spain, at 47 per cent.
Families hoping to enrol their child in a public preschool can request financial aid through the Help Program up until April 30. The First Cycle of Early Childhood Education in Andalucía aims to not only facilitate young learners but to also take the pressure off working parents and family life in general. Thus, the centres in the community actually run from Monday to Friday every non-holiday of the year, between 7:30am and 5pm. Additional games workshops are also occasionally offered which run until 8pm.

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Sarah Keane

Former teacher and health services manager with a Degree in English, Sarah moved to Spain from Southern Ireland with her husband, who runs his own car rental business, in 2019. She is now enjoying a completely different pace and quality of life on the Costa Blanca South, with wonderful Spanish and expat friends in Cabo Roig. Sarah began working with Euro Weekly News in 2020 and loves nothing more than bringing all the latest national and international news to her local community.

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