By Adam Woodward •
Updated: 28 Aug 2024 • 12:36 • 2 minutes read
There’s one thing on the minds of parents with school-age kids this week: back to school . There are doubts, anxiety and a certain amount of relief with the end of the summer hols.
State school summer holidays in Spain are long, generally 8 weeks plus a June of half days. But when do they start back in earnest in the Malaga province? When are the next holidays? What about long weekends and bank holidays? Where do I get school supplies and stationery?
School start dates
Nursery schools generally start back on Monday, September 2, while 3 to 5-year-olds won’t be back until Tuesday, September 10. Primary schools also start up on September 10, and a few days later, on Monday 16, Secondary schools finally start back along with Baccalaureate and Professional Training colleges. As well, on September 16, Arts, including Music, Dance and Fine Art and Design, and further education for adults.
School supplies
It’s that time of year again and the hypermarkets are a buzz with trolleys full of notebooks, pens and Lilo and Stitch backpacks on wheels. It’s a painful expense for many, and the biggest layout is for school textbooks, and for some, uniforms as well. Remember that while the big supermarket chains will be full of deals, your local specialist shops will have precisely the right gauge lined-notebooks the local schools insist on.
According to the latest data from OCU (national consumer organisation), each Spanish family spends an average of €1,874 per child during the school year, a large part of which goes on the outlay for back-to-school costs averaging at around €530.
Keep in mind that in state education in Andalusia, textbooks are free for students of state compulsory education as a loan to be returned at the end of the year. This year, the first, second and third years of Secondary, as well as those in Basic FP, will have new books.
Upcoming national holidays long weekends
The national holiday October 12 falls on a Saturday this year, so no midweek disruption there, and All Saints’ Day on November 1 is a Friday this year, so plan for a long weekend. There’s an even longer weekend at the beginning of December with Constitution day on Friday December 6, and the Immaculate Conception Day on Monday 9. You can download the full calendar from here.
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Passionate about music, food and the arts. After being completely immersed in the Spanish way of life for 25 years, I now share my knowhow and experience with you.
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