Organisational aspects

According to article 102 of Organic Law 2/2006 on Education (LOE), as amended by Organic Law 3/2020 (LOMLOE), continuing professional development is both a right and a duty of all teachers, as well as the responsibility of the education authorities and the educational institutions themselves. Teachers voluntarily choose the most suitable training for their teaching practice. 

These activities consist of periodic scientific, didactic and professional updating actions and the hours for these activities vary across the autonomous communities, where some specify that the training should not be delivered during school hours and others allow it in general or depending on the type of training (e.g., school training projects).

Action plans are drawn up and implemented by the teacher and resource centres in each autonomous community according to the priorities and instructions established by the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports (MEFD).

The educational administrations responsible for the organisation of lifelong learning activities are:

• the MEFD, through the National Institute of Educational Technologies and Teacher Training (INTEF);
• the autonomous communities through their education authorities.

The autonomous communities are free to establish their own priority guidelines for continuing training, taking into account the training needs of the teaching staff, determine the content of the training, and decide on the institutions responsible for providing it. In turn, schools must create their own continuous learning programmes according to the specific needs, objectives and lines of work of each school. 

Network of institutions dedicated to providing training activities in the autonomous communities

Teachers and Resource Centres

Article 7 of Royal Decree 1693/1995 and regional regulations establish the action plan for teachers and resource centres. The purpose and scope of these centres are linked to:

• organisation and development of the training programme within their area of action;
• promotion of interinstitutional working teams supporting the dissemination of knowledge;
• provision of resources for teachers f to contribute to the development of their teaching activity;
• improvement of educational innovation.

These institutions are responsible for a variable number of primary and secondary education schools to which they provide support in relation to professional development and resources or guidance to carry out innovation or improvement initiatives.

Other institutions involved in the continuing professional development of teachers:

Article 3 of Order EDU/2886/2011, which regulates the announcement, recognition, certification and registration of continuous training activities for teachers, includes other institutions linked to continuous teacher training: 

• university departments;
• Education Sciences Institutes;
• professional associations;
• trade unions;
• educational reform movements. 

Incentives, supporting measures and funding for participation in continuing professional development (CPD) activities

Undertaking continuing teacher training is optional but has specific effects on teachers’ professional careers. In this regard, the Resolution of 16 February 2011, of the Directorate General for Evaluation and Territorial Cooperation, establishes the recognition, within the scope of management of the different education administrations, of:

• merits that can be assessed in public competitions; 
• payment of a salary supplement: the specific supplement for continuous learning is the "sexenio” (six-year periods). In order for it to be recognised, teachers must have completed a certain number of hours of accredited training.