The present education system in Spain is relatively new. It is regulated by the law, "Ley de Ordenaci n General del Sistema Educativo", (LOGSE), which was passed in 1990. This makes education required and free until the age of sixteen, which is the minimum legal working age in Spain. The system is divided into two broad areas: General Education, and Special Education. General Education is divided into the following sections: Nursery Education (0-6 years); Primary Education (6-12 years); Secondary Education, which is in turn divided into Compulsary Secondary Education (12-16 years), and Higher Secondary or Mid-level Vocational Training (16-18 years); Higher Level Professional Training, and University Education. Finally, Special Education covers: Art (Music and Dance; Plastic Arts and Design, and Dramatic Arts) and Languages. Primary and compulsory secondary make up the basic education system. This takes ten years from the age of six to sixteen. Basic education, as we have already pointed out is required. At the end of this stage successful students are awarded the Secondary Education Graduation Certificate, which gives them access to Higher Secondary or Mid-level Vocational Training. There are four different branches in Higher Secondary: Arts; Natural and Health Sciences; Technology, and Humanities. Successful students at this level receive a Matriculation Certificate. This gives access to Higher Level Professional Training and University Studies. To enter university an entrance test must also be passed. Vocational Training is intended to prepare the student for work in a professional field. It includes mid-level Vocational Training and Higher Level Professional Training. Graduates at these levels receive certificates in the corresponding profession or trade of Technician and Superior Technician respectively. The first of these allows access to higher secondary school and the second to university.

The new system began in the 1991-1992 academic year and has a ten year introduction period, starting from 1990 when it was passed. This means that the new system will gradually take over from the old system throughout Spain during this time period. The Spanish School System is similar to the American School System in may way. The American and Spanish systems both require you go to school for a certian amount of time. They both three parts to the required part of their system. In spanish it is nursery education or our preschool, then their primary education (our elementary school), and then secondary education (our middle school). Spanish and American school systems have universities and vocational schools. Even though They are similar in some ways they also differ in others. Some ways they are different is that the American system has more branches in the higher secondary, or college, level. The American System also doesn't require you to finish high school or take a test before you can go to college or universities. In the Spanish School Sytstem they have Special education at an earlier age then Americans. I think that the American school system is moree effective because it gives you more options on what you want so that people don't drop out because they don't like their options.