ABSTRACT
Spanish education is compulsory and free for children between the age of 6 and 14 years. The basic purpose of the compulsory education program is to provide students with the requisite skills that are needed for later specialization (Nuevas Orientaciones, 1977). Examined within this context, elementary school students are taught in self-contained classes until they complete the basic education sequence. Following this, students who wish to continue their studies may pursue one of two options. The first option involves attending a Bachillerato Unificado Polivalente (BUP) program that is similar to American high school programs. The BUP program presents a 3-year sequence of courses that are intended to prepare students for university study. The second basic option for compulsory education graduates involves enrolling in a professional training school. These schools offer a 2-year assistant technician degree that may be followed by 3 additional years of vocational study that culminate in a technical specialist diploma. Higher education is currently available for qualified candidates at 20 state universities, an open university, 3 polytechnics, 2 independent universities, and 8 technical schools (Europa Year Book, 1987).
