It is possible to save money on education at all
age levels in Andalucia - even for adults and third age students.
Beginning with nursery, it is not hard to find
municipally subsidised care that might cost less than 100 euros
per month - slightly more
if your child stays for meals. Preschool is now offered completely
free of charge in most municipalities, and takes place on regular
primary school campuses.
Free state schooling is available for ages 6 to 16. At most schools
the quality is acceptable at least through primary school. Less
satisfaction is reported by parents of students at state secondary
schools. However, with help from a dedicated, involved parent, and
with careful choice of school it is possible to obtain a quality
education in Spain without paying for more than books. And it is
often possible to obtain a municipal subsidy to cover the prohibitive
cost of text books.
During summer there is always a wide variety of activities on offer
for children and young people, many of these at high cost. However,
your local municipal sports centre and youth departments often sponsor
excellent programmes at a fraction of their real cost. To obtain
entrance it is a good idea to be informed well in advance of the
subscription date as often lists fill and close quickly. Also, in
the case that too many people sign up for an activity within the
official subscription dates, entrance will be subject to a lottery
based on a point system which favours low income families among
others.
The municipal sports centre will also offer low
cost after-school activities such as swimming, karate and football,
depending on the
resources available. And the local Casa de Cultura is another good
place to find savings, this time on dance classes, painting,
ceramics
and other artistic endeavours.
Adults will find low-cost educational opportunities at their local
Casa de Cultura, and these often include highly subsidised language
courses. Libraries also sponsor educational, cultural events as
well. The latter might very well be free of charge.
Those living on the Costa del Sol will find numerous clubs and
associations, many of them with educational possibilities including
lecture series, music appreciation and birdwatching. The University
of the Third Age is among the best of these, offering a wide selection
of courses to members, who only pay a low yearly fee in exchange
for the opportunity to sign up for as many courses as they wish.
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