Country Information - Teaching in Spain
Thursday, 08 January 2009 18:01
Education in Spain
Many International schools have been set up in Spain and cater for children aged 3 to 18 where English is the main language. Most of these schools follow the English National Curriculum and some offer children the opportunity of following the International Baccalaureate at a later stage in their education.
A typical school day for primary children will start at around 9 in the morning to 4.30 in the afternoonwith secondary pupils continuing until 5pm. There is usually a two hour lunch break. The academic year opens at the beginning of September and closes towards the end of June. The two month break in the Summer covers the warmest spell.
Living and Teaching in Barcelona
So you are sold on the idea of working in an International School in Spain but what are the living conditions for you and your family like? Barcelona is a very safe place to live.
There are however pick pockets about to be found mainly in the tourist areas and the Metro System but taking sensible precautions with your handbag, mobile phone etc will minimize these problems.
You will find that life in Spain is much more laid back than you are probably used to; many people go to live there to avoid the rat race. Whilst teachers are not very highly paid compared to other EU countries, the life style will more than compensate.
Life in Spain can be simpler and more rewarding; it may just take a little adapting to. The average temperatures for Barcelona range from 6 degrees C to 28 degrees C in July and August. Remember, these are average temperatures and July and August can be much warmer than this at times, sometimes reaching 40 degrees C. It is rare for Barcelona to have many consecutive cloudy or rainy days. Humidity is however high especially in July and August.
Barcelona is the party capital of Europe non-stop nightlife from dusk till dawn. There is something here for everyone, Karaoke bars, Irish bars, restaurants with cuisine from all over the world and Flamenco clubs; it’s all to be found here. Well worth sampling are the Antique markets and flea markets. The local beaches are a must.
Prior to the 1992 Olympics the marina, beaches and nearby villages underwent a massive clean-up operation which made this area a magnet for locals and visitors alike. A lot of effort goes into keeping both the sand and sea to a high standard of cleanliness.
Places of Interest
La Ramblas is a must to visit. Here you can admire the street entertainment of mime artists waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting. The shopping here is diverse and exciting from the flower stalls to the renowned market and the designer shops, there is something for everyone here in La Ramblas.
The Catalan capital hosted the Olympic Games in 1992 the impressive stadium is the temporary home to RCD Espanyol who play their football matches there whilst their new stadium is being built. The stadium can be visited free of charge except when a football match is taking place.
The Gothic quarter can be found just off the Ramblas. Here you will find medieval Gothic buildings in what was the centre of Barcelona in the 14th and 15th Centuries. The main attraction in the medieval squares is the magnificent Gothic cathedral; the city’s history museum is well worth a visit.
Synonymous with Barcelona is Antoni Gaudi. Over the course of his career, Gaudi developed a surreal design style which established him as the innovative leader of the Spanish Art Nouveau movement. Many of Gaudi's characteristically warped forms of Gothic architecture can be seen in Barcelona.
History of Barcelona
The capital of Catalonia is most certainly a Mediterranean city, not only because of its geographic location but also and above all because of its history, tradition and cultural influences. The history of the city dates back to the founding of a Roman colony on its soil in the second century B.C.
Though founded around 230 BC, likely by the Carthaginians, and invaded firstly by the Visigoths and later the Muslims, the history of the city, in a sense, only truly began after armies from what is now France pushed back the Muslims in 801 AD.
At the time, the plains and mountains to the northwest and north of Barcelona were populated by the people who by then could be identified as 'Catalans' During the 12th Century the area grew rich on pickings from the Muslim caliphate and continued to do well through the 14th Century when Barcelona ruled a small empire which included Sicily, Malta, Sardinia, Valencia and the Balearics. Following a succession of rebellions and peasant revolts disaffected Catalans resorted to arms on a number of occasions, the last of which was their undoing.
During the War of Spanish Succession Catalunya sided with Britain and Austria against Felipe V, the French contender for the Spanish throne. Barcelona fell in 1714 after another siege, and as well as banning the Catalan language, Felipe built a huge fort to watch over his ungrateful subjects in town. In the late 1700’s when Catalunya was allowed to trade with America, the regions future gradually turned around.
The cotton industry and other industries based on wine, cork and iron was developed. An explosion in the population of Barcelona followed. During the 1930’s Barcelona was the last stronghold of the Republicans, infighting destroyed any chance they may have had of defeating Franco’s militia.
Franco wasted no time in banning Catalan and flooding the region with impoverished immigrants from Andalucia in the hope that the Catalans and their fight for independence would be swamped.
Unfortunately for him these immigrants became very strong Catalans and it was these people that revived Catalan with a vengeance. Whilst there is still talk of Independence it remains that – just talk.
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