Andalusia’s vocational training programmes have 1,216 additional teachers this school year to support the continued expansion of the courses, which the regional government identifies as a strategic priority. Education Minister María del Carmen Castillo announced the increase during a visit to IES Santa Bárbara in Málaga, a reference centre for health-related vocational training in Andalusia. The school has added two programmes: an intermediate-level course in nursing assistance and an advanced-level course in emergency coordination and civil protection.
Castillo said the additional staff were part of the regional government’s support for vocational training as a route into employment. She said the government was aligning course availability with qualifications sought by businesses and providing the teaching resources needed to meet the expansion.
A total of 887,532 students are beginning studies in compulsory secondary education, Bachillerato, vocational training, adult education and elementary and professional music and dance programmes. More than 695,500 will attend public institutions and about 116,500 publicly subsidised private institutions, across 1,903 schools.
Secondary schools have fewer students than last year, amid a sustained decline in the birth rate. At the start of the 2026–27 school year, enrolment was down by 11,600 students: 7,600 in compulsory secondary education and 4,000 in Bachillerato. The figures may change as students continue to enrol in the coming weeks. The Education Ministry said it had again strengthened teaching staff despite the decline, particularly for support for students with diverse needs. It is maintaining 600 additional teachers under an agreement with the CSIF, ANPE and UGT unions. Under the agreement, students with special educational needs are counted twice in classes with the highest pupil-to-teacher ratios. Public secondary schools have 56,524 teachers this year.
Vocational training enrolment has reached 224,600 after 14,000 students joined this year. Public centres account for 79% of students, or 177,293. Since 2018–19, enrolment has risen by nearly 50%, with more than 76,700 additional students; two-thirds of those new students are in public vocational training. The ministry has offered almost 200,000 places, 78,000 more than in 2018. This year’s provision includes 28,265 distance-learning places and 2,000 additional in-person places. Publicly funded centres offer 3,832 vocational programmes, specialisation courses and access courses, covering 197 different qualifications.
In Málaga province, 162,714 students have started the school year at 313 centres. Public secondary schools have 9,982 teachers, while compulsory secondary enrolment is down by 1,026. The province has 36,581 vocational training students, including 1,777 new entrants; 70% study at public centres. More than 22,100 publicly funded places for new vocational training students have been offered, across 560 programmes and specialisation courses.
IES Santa Bárbara has 1,000 secondary, Bachillerato and vocational training students and 106 teachers. It offers nine vocational training programmes: two at intermediate level and seven at advanced level.