| Major initiatives
The new technologies have been used in Spanish schools since the early 2000s, but some regions started in the mid 1980s. From the outset, particular attention has been paid to their educational use.
Internet en la escuela
The Internet en la escuela (Internet at school) initiative was implemented jointly in 2002-2005 by the Ministry of Education and the Autonomous Communities. Under this initiative, the training of teachers in ICT and their use in teaching were co-funded (50/50) by the Ministry and the Autonomous Communities. The latter also supported and funded the development of digital learning resources.
Internet en el aula
Internet en el aula (Internet in the classroom), 2005-2009, was a large-scale programme to develop an information society in education, to join up efforts through a unified approach across the entire Spanish territory and to facilitate joint initiatives among the Autonomous Communities. 454 million euros were allocated to it in the period 2005-2008. The programme was governed by a framework agreement between the Ministry of Education, Social Policy and Sports (MEPSyD), the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade and Red.es, the agency within the latter ministry responsible for implementing the information society in cooperation with the Autonomous Communities, local authorities and the private sector. The objectives of Internet en el aula were to:
• Develop a technological infrastructure (multimedia computers, peripherals and Internet access in classrooms), and promote strategies for digital inclusion;
• Finance the purchase of computers for families whose children are of school age;
• Provide technical and pedagogical advice and support to schools and teachers’ associations;
• Encourage the development, dissemination and use of educational content;
• Train teachers and teacher trainers;
• Monitor and evaluate initiatives in schools. Internet en el aula led to the creation of the AGREGA platform, in which all regions participate and which combines the catalogues of the resources developed in the various Autonomous Communities to make them accessible to every teacher and every institution across Spain.
Curriculum
A Royal Decree of 2006 stipulates that ICTs are part of the curriculum and that children should use these new technologies in their learning, while developing their critical thinking in relation to information. Spain – Andalusia and Catalonia: different regional approaches but based on open-source software.
Teacher training
In initial teacher training, ICT is not considered a core or main curriculum subject; it is one of the optional courses.
The common core of the programmes offered by in-service teacher training institutions includes a section devoted to “the use of ICT in education”. The policy of the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Autonomous Communities as regards ICT training for teachers involves efforts to create educational materials for the subjects taught and is not limited to ways of using ICT in school. Teaching practice placements in the classroom is one of the major principles of training.
Computer equipment and uses
Most Spanish schools use computers in their teaching and have access to the Internet. In the course of the school year 2007-08, 99.5% of schools (primary and secondary) were connected to the Internet, 72% with a broadband connection (min. 1Mb/s).
In the same year, the average pupil-computer ratio across Spain was 6.1 (primary 6.3, secondary 4.6 – state and private sectors combined); for pupils aged 10-14 years in state schools the national average was 5.3; in Catalonia it was 4.6 and in Andalusia 4.9. |
