Pupil and student mobility
The Spanish education system is committed to the development of policies, strategies and actions promoting student mobility. The Law 2/2006 on Education (LOE), amended by Law 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, the management of the corresponding public calls has been entrusted to the Spanish Service for the Internationalisation of Education (SEPIE).
Schools and other organisations linked to the early childhood, primary and secondary education sectors can participate in both mobility (KA1) and cooperation (KA2) projects.
Key Action 1 – KA1: Learning Mobility of Individuals
In the projects framed in the Key Action 1 - KA1: Learning Mobility of Individuals, educational centers can participate in mobility activities for both their students and their teachers and can access the two types of KA1 projects:
- Accreditation system (KA120): the school submits an application with long-term objectives. If the accreditation proposal is accepted, the school is guaranteed Erasmus+ funding for mobility projects (KA121) until 2027.
- Short-term projects (KA122): the school submits an application with short-term objectives. If the proposal is accepted, the school obtains funding for a short-term project, which may last between 6 and 18 months.
Student mobility activities, framed within Key Action 1 - KA1, that can be financed with Erasmus + funds, whether they are part of short-term projects or accredited projects, are:
- Group mobility of school pupils (from 2 to 30 days, at least two students per group): a group of students can spend time learning together with their peers in another country. The sending school must design the learning activities in collaboration with a partner school in the host country. Throughout the activity, students must be accompanied by teachers or other qualified teaching staff from the sending school, who must guide their learning process. If necessary, other adults can also act as chaperones to support the accompanying teachers.
- Short-term learning mobility for school pupils (10 to 29 days): pupils can spend a period abroad to study at a partner school or perform a traineeship at another relevant organisation abroad. An individual learning programme must be defined for each participant. For participants with fewer opportunities, mobility can be organised with a minimum duration of 2 days, if justified.
- Long-term learning mobility for shool pupils (30 to 365 days): ): pupils can spend a period abroad to study at a partner school or perform a traineeship at another relevant organisation abroad. An individual learning programme must be defined for each participant. An obligatory pre-departure training must be provided to all participants and increased funding support will be made available for organisational and linguistic support.
All mobility projects should integrate the following dimensions common to the whole Erasmus+ programme:
- inclusion and diversity;
- environmentally sustainable and responsible practices;
- digital transformation in education and training;
- participation in democratic life.
In addition to physical mobility, all student mobility activities can be combined with virtual activities. Activities must take place abroad, in an EU Member State or in a third country associated to the Programme.
Within Key Action KA1, there are also specific mobility activities for students in vocational education and training which can be applied for either individually or through a VET institution. The objectives of these actions are to improve the quality of initial and continuing vocational education and training in Europe, and to reinforce the European dimension of teaching and learning.
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; it is educational institutions that are in charge of applying by presenting a mobility project. Once the grant has been awarded, the selection of participating staff is carried out by institutions through a transparent, coherent and documented.
Erasmus+
Teacher mobility activities, framed within Key Action 1 - KA1, that can be financed with Erasmus + funds, whether they are part of short-term projects or accredited projects, are:
- Job shadowing (2 to 60 days): participants can spend a period of time at a hosting organisation in another country with the aim of learning new practices and gathering new ideas through observation and interaction with peers, experts or other practitioners in their daily work at the hosting organisation.
- Teaching or training assignments (2 to 365 days): participants can spend a period of time teaching or providing training to learners at a hosting organisation in another country, as a way to learn through completing their tasks and exchanging with peers.
- Courses and training (2 to 10 days): participants can benefit from a structured course or a similar kind of training provided by qualified professionals and based on a pre-defined learning programme and learning outcomes.
Mobility actions organized by the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports
At national level, the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports (MEFP) promotes other actions for the mobility of teachers:
| Teaching positions abroad for civil servant teachers | |
| Purpose | Promotion and organization of formal education corresponding to non-university levels of the Spanish educational system and mixed curricula of content from the Spanish educational system and those from the foreign educational systems. Organisation of teaching and activities aimed at Spanish residents enrolled in non-university levels of the respective educational systems. Common education of children of staff of the European Communities |
| Target groups | Civil servant teachers |
| Duration | A 2-year period, which can be extended, up to a maximum of 6; 9 in the case of European Schools |
| Funding | Those established by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training for the national territory for interim civil servants |
| Technical advisor positions abroad for civil servant teachers | |
| Purpose | Advise and assist the Spanish diplomatic mission in foreign countries in educational issues. Promote, direct and manage Spain's actions in terms of educational action abroad. Exercise leadership of personnel who provide services in institutions abroad. Promote and strengthen relations between the Spanish educational community and that of the country. Gather information about the country's educational policies and transmit it to the Spanish Administration. Organize teacher training activities |
| Target groups | Civil servants belonging to teaching bodies |
| Duration | 1 school year which can be extended, up to a maximum of 5 |
| Funding | Teachers receive their corresponding basic and supplementary salaries and a special allowance for foreign destinations |
| Teaching positions abroad for Interim teachers | |
| Purpose | Fill teaching positions on an interim basis in schools and programmes of Spanish educational action abroad (Spanish Schools, Shared Ownership Schools, European Schools, and Spanish Language and Culture Heritage Programme (ALCE) |
| Target groups | Non-civil servant teachers with teaching experience |
| Duration | 1 school year |
| Funding | Those established by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training for the national territory for interim teachers |
| Visiting teachers programme | |
| Purpose | To teach in Spanish in bilingual and immersion programmes, Spanish as a foreign language, or other areas or subjects |
| Target groups | Spanish citizens with a Master's, Graduate or Bachelor's degree, in different areas or subjects |
| Duration | One school year which can be extended |
| Funding | It may vary depending on the contracting educational authority, as well as their teaching experience and educational qualifications |
| Spanish Language and Culture Assistants | |
| Purpose | Promote learning and dissemination of the Spanish language and culture abroad. The programme also encourages the assistants to improve their knowledge of the language and culture of their host country |
| Target groups | Spanish citizens with a university degree or students in their final year at university |
| Duration | One school year |
| Funding | The language and culture assistants will receive the financial compensation indicated as a reference, charged to the budgets of the host country, for accommodation and living expenses |
| Teaching staff in bilingual Spanish sections in schools in Central and Eastern Europe and China | |
| Purpose | To teach Spanish language and culture as well as other subjects in Spanish in bilingual Spanish sections |
| Target groups | Spanish graduates as established in the process regulation |
| Duration | One school year which can be extended |
| Funding | The same salaries as non-university teaching staff in their countries of destination, with the right to accommodation and the country's own health care, as well as the corresponding aids from the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports |
| Professional visits for teachers | |
| 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 |
| Target groups | Career civil servants from the following bodies: Infant and Primary Education Teachers, Secondary Education Teachers, Secondary Education Professors, Official Language School Teachers, Official Language School Professors, Technical Vocational Training Teachers, Music and Performing Arts Teachers and Plastic Arts and Design Teachers |
| 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 1 500 to cover the costs of accommodation and subsistence, as well as travel expenses |
Source: Drawn up by Eurydice Spain-Spanish Network for Information on Education (INEE, MEFD) on the basis of current calls.