Pupil and student mobility
The Spanish education system is committed to the development of policies, strategies and actions promoting student mobility. The Act 2/2006 on Education (LOE), amended by Act 3/2020 (LOMLOE), expresses in its preamble the need to increase mobility and exchanges, with the aim of opening up education systems to the wider world.
Student mobility programmes are part of the educational actions of the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission. In Spain, these programmes are managed by the Spanish Service for the Internationalisation of Education (SEPIE).
“Key action 1: Learning Mobility of individuals” includes the mobility activities that are meant to produce one or more of the following outcomes:
- improved learning performance;
- increased sense of initiative and entrepreneurship;
- enhanced intercultural awareness;
- more active participation in society.
Student mobility activities, framed within Key Action 1-KA1, must actively promote inclusion and diversity, environmental sustainability and digital education, and can be of different modalities and duration:
- group mobility of school students (from 2 to 30 days, at least 2 students per group);
- short-term educational mobility of students (from 10 to 29 days);
- long-term educational mobility of students (from 30 to 365 days).
Within the Key Action -KA11, specific mobility activities are also called for vocational training students that can be requested both individually and through a vocational training center. The objectives of these actions are to improve the quality of initial and continuing vocational education and training in Europe, and to strengthen the European dimension of teaching and learning. Mobility activities for vocational students should promote inclusion and diversity, environmentally responsible and sustainable practices, and the digital transition. These activities can be of different modalities and duration:
- participation in professional skills contests (from 1 to 10 days);
- short-term educational mobility for vocational training students (from 10 to 89 days);
- long-term educational mobility for vocational training students (ErasmusPro) (from 90 to 365 days).
Teacher mobility
The commitment of the Spanish education system to mobility is not limited to students, but it also develops educational policies and actions promoting teacher mobility through different European (Erasmus +) or national initiatives.
Participants cannot apply directly for aid under the Erasmus + Programme; instead, educational institutions are in charge of applying by presenting a mobility project. Once the grant is awarded, institutions carried out the selection of staff by through a transparent, coherent and documented procedure:
ERASMUS+
Erasmus+ finances, within the "Key Action 1-KA1: Educational Mobility of individuals" of the Erasmus+ Program, mobility activities for teachers. These activities aim to strengthen the European dimension of teaching and learning; improve the quality of teaching and learning in school education; and contribute to the creation of the European Education Area. These activities can be of different modalities and duration:
- learning by observation (from 2 to 60 days);
- teaching visits (from 2 to 365 days);
- courses and training (from 2 to 30 days).
Teachers, school directors and other non-teaching staff working in school education can participate in these activities. The "Key Action 1-KA1: Educational Mobility of People" also includes mobility grants for vocational training staff, both teachers and non-teaching staff working in vocational training, such as those responsible for international mobility, advisors, vocational training policy coordinators, etc. The main objectives of the mobility activities for vocational training staff are to improve the quality of initial and continuing vocational education and training in Europe, and to strengthen the European dimension of teaching and learning, and can be of different modalities and duration:
- learning by observation (from 2 to 60 days);
- teaching or training visits (from 2 to 365 days);
- courses and training (from 2 to 30 days).
All participants are covered by an insurance taken out by the project organisers and should be in possession of the European Health Insurance Card, if the destination country is in territory of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland.
Mobility actions organized by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training
At national level, the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MEFP) promotes other actions for the mobility of teachers:
| GOVERNMENT-EMPLOYED TEACHERS ABROAD | |
| Purpose | assign teaching positions abroad on the basis of merit |
| Destination | depending on the call (schools owned by the Spanish State abroad, Spanish sections in foreign schools, Spanish Language and Culture groups, etc.) |
| Target groups | government-employed teachers in service |
| Requirements |
|
| Duration | a 2-year period, which can be extended, up to a maximum of 6; nine if the destination is a European School |
| Funding |
- equalisation of purchasing power: it takes into account exchange rate variations of the relevant reference currency. There are two types, depending on whether they pay their housing costs or not - quality of life: it depends on factors such as distance, climate, insalubrity, lack of communications, violence or war situation, citizen insecurity, or others, which may decrease their quality of life
|
| Health coverage | government-employed teachers abroad who are affiliated to MUFACE (the General Mutual Insurance Society for Civil Servants), as well as their beneficiaries, have insurance through an agreement this Society signs with an insurance company in the case of teachers in European Schools, healthcare is covered by the Schools themselves, in accordance with their Statute teachers in the General Social Security Scheme, as well as their beneficiaries, who are travelling to countries of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland must be in possession of the European Health Insurance Card |
| Certification | it will be reflected in the teacher’s service record |
| Responsible body | Ministry of Education and Vocational Training |
Drawn up by Eurydice National Unit of Spain (National Institute for Educational Evaluation, MEFP) on the basis of the call.
| PROFESSIONAL VISITS | |
| Purpose | improve the quality of teacher training, promote innovation, adopt more effective teaching methods, create professional communities at the EU level or participate in them, as well as encourage foreign language learning and promote professional and cultural exchanges between the education systems |
| Destination | educational institutions in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom |
| Target groups | Early childhood and primary and secondary education teachers. Professors in Secondary Education and Official Language Schools, Technical Teachers in Vocational Training, Music and Performing Arts Teachers and Plastic Arts and Design Teachers |
| Requirements |
|
| Duration | 2 weeks in the host country and institution |
| Funding | during the visit, they will retain their rights as civil servants, receiving the corresponding remuneration in addition, they will receive EUR 1 300 to cover the costs of accommodation and subsistence, as well as travel expenses |
| Health coverage conditions | The selected candidates must make the necessary arrangements for health coverage and travel insurance on their own |
| Certification | certificate, accreditation of the training credits earned |
| Responsible body | Ministry of Education and Vocational Training |
Drawn up by Eurydice National Unit of Spain (National Institute for Educational Evaluation, MEFP) on the basis of the call.