Ministry of Education and Vocational Training launches a new Linguistic Programmes portal covering the studies of more than 60,000 pupils

More than 60,000 pupils benefit each year from one of the four linguistic programme at a national level, coordinated by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (Spanish acronym: MEFP) and run by the regional authorities. To give greater visibility to this education offer, developed in collaboration with the UK, France, Morocco and Portugal, the MEFP is launching a new Linguistic Programmes portal, with all the information on the different education plans.

Through this web page, you can consult accurate information on each of the programmes, what they consist of, what regulations govern them and where they are taught, among others. In addition, it provides access to its own teaching materials and resources, such as manuals, dictionaries containing doubts about orthography, literature tests and links to the main media in each country.

The Bilingual Education Programme, operated in collaboration with the British Council, was been pioneering in the introduction of an integrated Spanish-British curriculum and this year celebrates its 25th anniversary. It has become a benchmark in methodological innovation in language teaching. It is taught at 90 public schools in nursery and primary education and at 57 secondary schools, distributed over 10 autonomous regions, and in Ceuta and Melilla. It has around 40,000 pupils, from the second cycle of nursery education to the fourth year of compulsory secondary education.

The Bachibac Programme, set up in 2008 under an agreement with the French Government, offers the possibility of obtaining a dual French-Spanish qualification - the Spanish Advanced Secondary Education title and the Diplôme du Baccalauréat français - which can be studied at secondary institutes in the two countries. The number of centres that offer this mixed curriculum is growing at a rate of 6% per annum, both in France and in Spain. In the academic year 2020-2021, it is being taught at 120 centres in the Spanish education system to some 3,400 pupils and at 92 French centres to some 5,800 pupils. Next year, six new centres, including one in Cuba, will offer this possibility of a dual qualification.

The MEFP also coordinates the Arab Language -Teaching and Moroccan Culture Programme, financed by the Moroccan Government through the Hassan II Foundation and implemented in collaboration with the Moroccan Embassy in Spain. Although it is primarily aimed at students of Moroccan origin, it is open to those interested in learning about Arab culture and language. This was initiated in the academic year 1994-1995 in the Region of Madrid, and is currently taught at 354 primary and secondary education centres in 11 autonomous regions and has more than 7,100 students.

Lastly, the Portuguese Language and Culture Programme is developed in collaboration with the Portuguese Embassy through the Camões Institute. It was set up in the academic year 1987-1988 in Castile and Leon for 103 pupils and now has almost 5,000 pupils in 21 primary education and 23 secondary education centres, spread over seven autonomous regions. It was initially set up as a nursery and primary education compensation scheme to foster the integration of the children of Portuguese-speaking citizens in the Spanish education system, although it has now become a programme of excellence for learning Portuguese as a second language.

Non official translation