Education Reform in Democratic Spain

First Published in 2004. Oliver Boyd-Barrett and Pamela O’Malley have brought together a collection of the best recently published and specially commissioned articles that chart the rapid and extensive process of education reform in Spain since 1970. The articles cover in detail all the key measures of reform and the relevant changes in legislation and government policy since the 1970 Ley General de Educación. They also set these changes within their historical context. The book shows that the process of reform in Spain has been characterized by both idealism and conflict and has been notable for its sheer pace. Topics covered include democratization and decentralization, curriculum reform, vocational and technical education, and the leading partners in education such as the Ministry of Education and Science, teacher unions and governors. This book is a significant contribution to the study of worldwide processes of education reform and will be of interest to comparative educationists, those who have a professional interest in education in Spain, and also anyone with a more general interest in modern Spain.

Oliver Boyd-Barrett was Sub-Dean at the School of Education of the Open University until 1994, and is currently Director of Distance Learning at the Centre for Mass Communications Research, University of Leicester. Pamela O’Malley has taught for many years at the British Council School in Madrid. She was active in the anti-Franco resistance. She has worked in an advisory capacity with the Partido Comunista de España (PCE) and subsequently with the Parliamentary Education Commissions of Izquierda Unida (IU). She is President of the Fundación por la Escuela Pública Angel Díaz Zamorano of one of the leading teacher unions (CCOO).