In the Spanish Education System teachers can be non-university and university depending on the type of provision they teach.
The main Acts regulating teachers for the different educational stages are:
- for non-university teaching staff: Organic Law 2/2006 on Education (LOE), as amended by Organic Law 3/2020 (LOMLOE). In addition, teachers in private and publicly-funded private schools are governed by their collective agreements:
- educational institutions supported fully or partially by public funds (publicly-funded private schools): 7th Collective Bargaining Agreement for private education companies fully or partially supported by public funds;
- educational institutions without any educational agreement or public financial support (private schools): 10th National Collective Bargaining Agreement for general regime private institutions or formal education institutions without any educational agreement or public financial support;
- for university teaching staff: Organic Law 6/2001 on Universities (LOU) as amended by Organic Law 4/2007 (LOMLOU). In addition, teachers in private schools are governed by their collective agreements:
- university education and research institutions (hereinafter referred to as non-profit institutions): 13th State-wide collective agreement for university education and research institutions;
- private universities, private university education institutions and postgraduate training institutions (hereinafter referred to as for-profit institutions): 8th National collective bargaining agreement for private universities, private university education institutions and postgraduate training institutions.
Non-university teachers
Initial teacher training required
Following the criteria of Article 13 of Royal Decree 276/2007, approving admission, access and the acquisition of new specialities in the teaching profession, the initial training required to teach at each of the educational levels is as follows:
Educational level | Number of degrees | Type of degree | |
First cycle of Pre-Primary Education (0-3 years old) | 1 | Advanced Vocational Training Cycle in Early Childhood Education | |
First and second cycle of Pre-Primary Education (0-6 years old) | 1 | Early Childhood Education Teacher's Degree | |
Primary education | 1 | Primary Education Teacher's Degree | |
Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO), Bachillerato and Vocational Training (VT), Official Language Schools | 2 | PhD, Bachelor's degree, degree in Engineering or Architecture, or the corresponding degree or other equivalent qualifications for teaching purposes
Pedagogical and teaching training at postgraduate level (University Master's Degree in Teacher Training for Secondary Education, Bachillerato, Vocational Training and Language Teaching). For those specialities that cannot be completed in the Master's programme, an equivalent official certification will be required from 1 September 2015. | |
Specialised Education | Artistic education | 1 | Official university degree (or equivalent) |
Sports Education | 2 | Official university degree (or equivalent). Pedagogical and teaching training at postgraduate level (University Master's Degree in Teacher Training for Secondary Education, Bachillerato, Vocational Training and Language Teaching). | |
Source: Drawn up by Eurydice Spain-Spanish Network for Information on Education (INEE, MEFP) on the basis of State current regulations.
Working conditions
According to Law 4/2019 on the improvement of teaching and learning conditions in non-university education, working conditions may vary depending on:
- the ownership of the workplace: public or private;
- the contractual relationship with the administration or educational institution (e.g. in public schools being a civil servant, interim or labour staff);
- the educational level they teach;
- employment category (for example, in public schools, belonging to the Secondary Teachers' Corps or to the Faculty Corps).
As for public educational institutions, there can be differences amongst the various Autonomous Communities.
Continuing professional development
It is a right and a professional responsibility of non-university teachers.
Article 103 of the LOE, establishes that the education authorities shall plan teacher training activities, guarantee a diversified and free offer of these activities and establish the appropriate measures to encourage the participation of teachers.
The LOE and LOMLOE set a series of guidelines that must be respected by the Continuing Professional Development programmes offered by the Education Authorities, responsible for planning and organising them in their jurisdiction. They must provide teachers with a diversified offer of activities and cater for their training needs, as well as establishing other training priority guidelines. This legislation stresses the need to improve the processes of initial training and access to the teaching profession, as well as teachers' continuing professional development.
The Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MEFP), through the National Institute of Educational Technologies and Teacher Training (INTEF), establishes on a yearly basis the priority areas to which continuing teacher training plans must adhere.
It also offers State Continuing Professional Development programmes and it establishes the appropriate agreements with other institutions to this end.
University teachers
Initial teacher training required
According to article 48 of LOU on universities, public universities require an official university degree (or equivalent) in the area of knowledge to be taught. There is no obligation to have a teaching qualification, although some universities promote training activities among their teaching staff to acquire teaching skills.
In public universities, initial teacher training may differ between civil servants and hired teachers.
In private (non-profit and for-profit) universities, collective agreements regulate the initial training required, which depends on the professional status of the teaching staff.
Continuing professional development
Universities themselves are in charge of organising continuing professional development activities, which are optional but necessary for receiving some specific additional remuneration.
Working conditions
These conditions depend on the ownership of the institution:
- public universities: they are governed by the same regulations as those for non-university teaching staff, in addition to other regulations applicable to them;
- private universities (non-profit and for profit): they are governed by the collective agreements applied to them.