Education is a very important issue for young people who move to another country. Especially if it is a family with children. After all, we all want a better future for them, and it is very difficult to be confident in it without a high-quality education. This moment is especially worrisome for parents when moving to another country: the difference in education systems, the language barrier — all these are topical issues of the family during migration.
The educational system in the Principality of Andorra is quite complex and multi-component, because throughout all the times it meant a multinational student figure. And of course, it plays in favor of the parents: because of this feature, it has absorbed everything necessary for the comfortable integration of children of any nationality and culture for many years.
How many educational systems are there in Andorra
Due to the close proximity to the respective countries, there are three educational systems in Andorra: Spanish, French and, in fact, Andorran.
Plus, there is also a British one, but it stands apart since it is not public, but private, only the British often choose it.
How education developed in Andorra
Andorra is a fairly conservative state and until the 1900s it was an isolated feudal principality, and local laws were surprising even by the standards of that time.
Only at the end of this period, progress began towards the creation of a democratic state and one of the first reforms was the educational one.
Thanks to this, since 1880 the first public school appeared, and it was Spanish. After a couple of decades, it became clear that this was not enough, since the multiculturalism of the visiting population demanded more, and other schools (in particular, French ones) began to open. Since then, the state has been very sensitive and flexible about this issue, making sure that any emigrant can receive an education that meets the needs and peculiarities of their culture.
Also, since 1993, there has been a fairly large organization called Zebra4, aimed at teaching extraordinary children.
All three educational systems differ from one another quite strongly, but they also have common features:
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of Andorra is directly responsible for all three systems and they are all regulated by the laws of the country.
Education is compulsory, children go to school from 6 to 16 years old;
Optional education is college and university studies, prof. preparation;
All education in the country is completely free (except for private schools), including transport for children.
Skiing is compulsory in all school educational institutions during primary education.
Now, let's talk about each of the education systems in more detail.
Spanish educational system
The emphasis is on the study of the Spanish language, history, geography, literature.
Teaching is conducted mainly in Catalan, but Spanish and French are also studied very closely.
Different schools have different biases and language peculiarities, as well as peculiarities of upbringing. It is impossible to draw a parallel here with European general education schools.
Andorran educational system
Not too different from the previous system, but, logically, the emphasis is more on the cultural characteristics of Andorra.
French Educational System
The big difference is that this system is fully funded by the French government and is part of the educational system of this country;
It depends on the French educational authorities and follows his curriculum;
The language of instruction is French.
The ratio of students in different systems is approximately equal:
+ about 30% in Spanish;
+ 40% - in Andorran;
+ 30% - French.
Higher education in Andorra
When we talk about primary education, we can say that it is quite free and flexible, but as far as higher education is concerned, there is only one university here — the University of Andorra. It may seem that this is very a few, but in fact, this university is very large and reputable.
More than 90% of its graduates find work in their field immediately after graduation or even during their studies. Students choose among the faculties of jurisprudence, computer science, philology, pedagogy, management, and business accounting, as well as other humanities. Some of the faculties are represented by other universities based on the University of Andorra.
Tuition fees are acceptable by European standards but different for each faculty.
Other educational institutions
In addition to the aforementioned university, there are also prestigious educational institutions in Andorra, such as the Vocational Training Center, Adult Education Center (CFA), Andorra Aviation Academy. All these centers are the best in the world and their graduates are highly demanded personnel in the market.
In conclusion, I would like to summarize that school education in Andorra is one of the best and most diverse in Europe, offering a truly international learning experience, thanks to which it has a very high prestige all over the world. As for higher education, everything is a little more modest here, however, all educational institutions of this country are tightly regulated by the state, which is why their graduates are guaranteed high-quality employment.
Therefore, if you have already decided to move to Andorra, or are just considering such an opportunity, but afraid for the education of your children, then this is the last thing you should worry about. For the rest, we will be happy to help you and answer all your questions, because we are not only experts in any issues related to moving to this country, but we also have connections in all the necessary structures so that you receive the fastest and most complete information on all aspects and details of your nominal case.