Given its diminutive size, it is surprising that the Principality of Andorra has three distinct schooling systems. Education is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16, and parents can choose between the French, Andorran or Spanish systems for their children.
In every parish, there is a primary school. Most communities have a secondary school as well as free creches for younger children, and private nurseries.
The standard of education is generally very high in Andorra. Expats can choose between three different systems: Spanish, French and Andorran. Attendance to one system compulsory until the age of 16, with home-schooling not permitted in Andorra.
During their education students will have been heavily exposed to English, French, Spanish, Catalan and Portuguese, and should have attained a decent to high level of each language.
The following subjects are taught comprehensively in all systems:
Around half of children in Andorra attend a school that is part of the French education system. Pupils enter the system at 6 years old, with basic classes like literature, music, mathematics, French language, and art.
Each year, a further subject is added to the pupils’ curriculum. After finishing upper secondary school, children receive a diploma, with further education the usual next step.
The Spanish education centres in Andorra are managed by the government of Spain. Spanish schools consist of three different levels:
After completion, students can choose to pursue higher education in Spain.
Since there are many expats in Andorra who are not from Spain of France, most place their kids in the Andorran system, due to its commitment to teaching both English and Spanish from an early age.
As the official language in Andorra, Catalan is the main language in Andorran schools. When secondary school is completed, students receive a certificate which enables them to continue to study in Andorra, although it's also possible to continue in another European country
Many English-speaking expat families send their children to Col-legi Internacional del Pirineu . To enroll, there is a one-off fee of €750 and then monthly fees of at least €670 (excluding costs for meals and transport).
As well as a multinational and multilingual environment, pupils have access to a wide variety of winter and summer sports such as skiing and golf, and many extra-curricular activity camps.
University courses in Andorra normally last 4 years. The majority of students who wish to go to university move to France or Spain. Two of the most popular university destinations for Andorrans are Toulouse and Barcelona.
The Universitat d’Andorra is the most famous University in Andorra. Although it is relatively new, it is gaining a reputation for the departments that it has - Nursing; Management and Computer Science. It also has a virtual studies centre for online courses.
The Universitat de les Valls is a private university which specializes in the field of dentistry, and the Universitat Oberta la Salle is a private, long-distance university which offers masters degrees in business and computing.
For further information about the schooling systems in Andorra, you can visit the Ministry of Education website, or contact them using the information supplied below:
Departament d'Ensenyament Superior i Recerca
Ministeri d'Educació i Joventut
Av. Rocafort, 21-23
AD600 Sant Julià de Lòria
ANDORRA
The information for this guide was provided by Tribune Properties.