Overseas Education Action by Ministry of Education and Vocational Training provides Spanish language learning to over 130,000 students in education systems around the world

This is reflected in the report entitled 'The World Studies Spanish 2020', a publication that contains details on the status of Spanish in the education systems of 33 countries.

'Overseas education action seeks a dual purpose: firstly, to guarantee the international nature of education by highlighting Spanish as a foreign language at education centres in numerous countries; and, secondly, to boost Spanish representation overseas as part of a soft diplomacy process through education or culture seeking to bring people closer together', explained the State Secretary for Education, Alejandro Tiana, at the event held to present the study.

Published every two years, the report contains information about the actions undertaken by the Spanish state in terms of education beyond its national borders. Its goal is to promote, communicate and preserve the Spanish language and culture around the world, as well as to help maintain cultural and linguistic ties with Spanish residents overseas.

The main programmes run by AEE include the Spanish overseas state schools. A total of 18 such schools are owned by the Spain in seven countries of Europe, Africa and America. In total, 8,009 students of all ages enrolled at these centres in the 2019-20 academic year, where 682 teachers give classes. Morocco is worth highlighting in this regard, where there are 11 Spanish education centres.

Spain also partly owns two other centres (one in São Paulo, Brazil, and another in Rosario, Argentina), where 1,753 students enrolled last year and classes were taught by 192 teachers.

Promotion of bilingual and bicultural education

A part of the curriculum is also taught in Spanish at the 30 Spanish departments that exist at schools in Germany, the United States, France, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Last year, some 8,862 students enrolled in these departments where classes were taught by some 88 Spanish teachers.

Spanish teaching is also present at European Schools in six countries, where 5,568 students enrolled in the Spanish departments last year or in those of other languages with Spanish as a foreign language. 97 Spanish teachers taught lessons at these schools.

Another of the main programmes run by AEE is the Spanish Language and Culture Groups (Spanish acronym: ALCE). These are used to provide complementary Spanish language and culture classes to the children of Spanish residents living overseas. Last year, 139 teachers taught classes to 16,282 students in 12 countries.

Made up almost exclusively by Spanish civil servant teaching staff, these programmes are joined by another three particularly important programmes in which the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training is actively involved.

Growth of the programmes in Central and Eastern Europe and in China

The strongest growth is being recorded by the bilingual departments programme in countries of Central and Eastern Europe and in China. Some 18,677 students made up these programmes 10 years ago, while 28,385 students enrolled in the 2019-20 academic year with a total of 121 teachers. This programme also allows students to obtain a dual qualification (local and Spanish).

Similarly, the International Spanish Academies (ISA) is a bilingual English-Spanish primary and secondary education programme that is taught at schools in the United States and Canada. A total of 47,443 students enrolled on this programme last year.

The Ministry of Education and Vocational Training also has partnership agreements with 13 education centres in 11 countries of Ibero-America, where 14,838 students enrolled in the last academic year.

The work carried out by AEE also includes the organisation of a conversation assistant programme. Last year, 784 Spanish assistants promoted the Spanish language and culture at schools overseas. In turn, the Spanish education system received the support of 5,377 foreign assistants.

Furthermore, the Visiting Faculty programme is one of the most popular among Spanish teachers overseas. Last year, 1,311 teachers joined this programme in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The programme was extended to the United Arab Emirates in 2021.

In total, including the conversation assistants and this last project, some two million people in over 50 countries benefit from the programmes supported by AEE and over 10,000 teachers are involved.

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