The school in Fuerteventura

There are many families who decide to radically change their lives and seek information about the school in Fuerteventura .

Many of these have children or young people who still attend school in Italy and are concerned about the functioning of the Canarian school system .

Obviously, like any new beginning, there are initial difficulties or inconveniences, as teachers in schools in Fuerteventura only speak Spanish.

But if you find yourself having trouble, there are support teachers available, or you can opt for a private Spanish course.

School in Fuerteventura is slightly different from that in Italy, as it lasts a year longer.

State schools are completely free; nothing is owed (not even voluntary donations) as this could create moral inequalities among families and students, or feelings of favoritism.

Teaching materials such as books, notebooks, and stationery are subject to a fee and are the responsibility of the students.

What schools are there and how do they work in Fuerteventura?

Starting from the youngest children, not of school age, there are (see the map of Fuerteventura ): 

Infant Education

It is divided into two phases: from 0-3 years and from 3-5 years, which is equivalent to the Italian nursery and kindergarten.

• Primary Education

It is equivalent to Italian primary school and lasts 6 years (from 6 to 11 years old).

• Secondary Education

It is equivalent to Italian middle school and is divided into two cycles lasting a total of four years.

• ESO 1st cycle: from 12-14 years old, where children study a program common to all students for 3 years.
• ESO 2nd cycle: 15-year-olds can choose the branch of study based on the higher education path they intend to attend (scientific or humanistic).

Next up are:

• The average training cycle

It lasts 1 year and includes subjects such as: aesthetics, hairdressing, cooking, tourism, business administration and other professionally oriented subjects.

• The higher education cycle

It lasts 2 years and includes more technical subjects such as electronics, computer science, chemistry and many other scientific subjects.

Furthermore, this cycle also includes entry into the workplace with apprenticeship periods.

Instead, for “licei” the “Título de bachiller” is foreseen, divided into artistic, literary or scientific orientation.

Next are the Canary Islands universities which generally last 4 years, except for longer specializations.

How do I enroll children in nursery school or other educational institutions?

First of all, you need to find out about the enrollment calendar already published by the Ministry of Education , according to the level of education (nursery, elementary, middle and high school).

Registration is essential once you’ve identified the school closest to you.

If the children arrive in Fuerteventura after the pre-registration dates, they will obviously still attend school.

But with the only difference that they cannot choose the institution to attend, it will be any one according to the availability of each municipality.

One detail to note is that in many schools children have a mega TOUCH screen instead of a blackboard and children are taught from a very young age to use and study with the PC.

What documents are required for school enrollment?

The documents required to enroll in schools in Fuerteventura , which must be brought from Italy, are:

• The family certificate
• The birth certificate
• Health card
• Identity cards of children and parents (photocopies)

And those that can be obtained in Fuerteventura:

• The NIE
• The empadronamiento (certificate of residence in the respective municipalities of the island)
• 2 photos

News about the school system in Fuerteventura and the Canary Islands

The Ministry of Education of the Canary Islands has established a good organisation of education in the schools of the respective islands which: 

• It promotes a flexible and open approach to the individual characteristics of students and contributes to their training to enable them to face the challenges of 21st century society.
• The childhood stage is organized based on harmonious growth, discovery and exploration of the environment and representation of reality.
• Civic and ethical values, emotional education and creativity are incorporated into primary schools.
• Optional subjects have been incorporated into secondary schools which will allow schools to plan within their autonomy, integrating different areas

All this in a strong collaboration between teachers and students.

• The Bachillerato Generale is more open and flexible, allowing students to design their own educational path according to their interests.