Decision to split compulsory secondary education in Madrid worries families and secondary-school heads

Madrid’s public education system faces a change that is already being felt in the lives of many families. Since this school year, Comunidad de Madrid has allowed pupils in the first and second years of ESO to remain at primary schools rather than move directly to secondary schools. The measure, which seeks to provide continuity in schooling and make work-life balance easier, has opened a debate on its real impact on students’ everyday lives and on the organisation of centres.

Asociación de Directores de Institutos Públicos de Madrid (Adimad) has asked Consejería de Educación to reconsider this decision. They argue that dividing ESO between two different centres fragments the educational process and makes adolescents’ adaptation more difficult when they have to join the secondary school in the third year. The headteachers insist that ESO is a stage with its own identity and that secondary schools are prepared to receive young people aged 11 to 14, thanks to specialised teaching teams and guidance resources.

The CEIPSO model, which integrates Infant Education, Primary Education and the first two years of Secondary Education in the same school, has already been operating at 49 state centres since September. Another 52 schools have been authorised to join in the coming years. The Comunidad argues that this formula helps combat school dropout and improves the protection of children and pre-adolescents. It also responds to demographic decline and the need to maintain the viability of some schools.

However, for many leadership teams, the measure may hinder pedagogical continuity and pupils’ emotional wellbeing. They propose strengthening secondary schools with dining halls and free extracurricular activities, instead of requiring pupils to change centre halfway through the stage. Some families, meanwhile, value the possibility of keeping their children at the same school, especially because of timetable flexibility and family work-life balance.

The city is again adjusting its educational rhythm. The debate over how and where to complete ESO affects thousands of families who are currently deciding their children’s educational future. Open days at secondary schools become an opportunity to see the projects up close and resolve doubts before making a decision.

In Madrid, state secondary schools have evolved in recent decades to adapt to a diverse population and new social needs. Many have coexistence, guidance and diversity-support programmes, as well as activities beyond school hours. This accumulated experience is one of the arguments headteachers put forward to defend the value of completing the full ESO stage in secondary schools. Madrid is already beginning to move in that direction, although the debate remains open.