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The Spanish autonomous communities which receive more regional funding have a 94% higher cost in public education per student
The BBVA Foundation and Ivie have released today the regional database that complements the document “Cuentas de la Educación en España 2000-2013”, presented on March 8th, 2016.
With this additional information, some conclusions can be drawn on existing differences among regions regarding educational costs and expenditure.
The majority of students in Spain study in public schools, regardless of the autonomous community in which they reside. However, the percentage of students in public schools varies greatly by regions, from 82.1% in Castile-La Mancha to 50.9% in the Basque Country.
According to the database, the cost of education per student, both in public and private schools, is also different among regions, with variations that can even reach 100%, meaning that the cost in some regions is double that of others.
In the case of public education, the differences in cost per student extend up to 82 points. The autonomous communities which stand out above the average are: Basque Country (69.3%), Navarre (30.7%), and others such as Cantabria, Asturias, Galicia, La Rioja and Castile and Leon. In addition, these autonomous communities receive from the regional funding system more resources per capita than the average.
Meanwhile, in private or privately-owned but state-funded schools, the range of differences among regions regarding cost per student is also significant. The regions of Navarre, Catalonia and Basque Country lead the ranking with the highest costs, while for Castile-La Mancha, Murcia, Extremadura and Andalusia, the costs per student are up to 30% below the national average.
The database released today also makes reference to the amount families spend on education, which includes financing education and extracurricular activities, meals, transportation, books and uniforms. According to 2014 data, families in Madrid, Basque Country and Navarre spend more money on these activities, with figures more than 40% above the Spanish average. At the other end, Castile-La Mancha, Andalusia and Extremadura are the autonomous communities in which families devote less money to education with amounts 40% below the national average.
Key figures:
- The cost per student in public schools of the foral communities (69.3% Basque country and Navarre 30.7%) exceeds by far the Spanish average
- The cost per student of private schools is much higher than the average in Navarre (58.6%), Catalonia (32%) and Basque Country (31.8%)
- The percentage of students who attend public schools is higher for all the regions, but varies from 50.9% in the Basque country, to 82.1% in Castile La Mancha
- Household expenditure in education is very unequal among regions. Madrid, Basque Country and Navarre are the communities in which families spend more, while families from Castile-La Mancha, Andalusia and Extremadura allocate less of their own funds to education
This database complements the document Cuentas de la Educación en España 2000-2013. Recursos, gastos y resultados directed by Francisco Pérez – Ivie Research Director and Professor at University of Valencia – and Ezequiel Uriel – Ivie Research Professor and Professor at University of Valencia- in collaboration with Ivie economists, Vicent Cucarella, Laura Hernández and Ángel Soler.
