Spain pushes major reforms in early childhood education

The Spanish Ministry of Education has drafted a decree to halve classroom ratios for the 0‑3 year stage of early childhood education. The proposal sets maximums of four children per educator for infants under one year, six for ages one to two, and eight for two to three, lowering current limits that range from eight to twenty children. Unions have voiced conditional support, while the private sector warns the changes could force the closure of thousands of private infant schools and jeopardise tens of thousands of jobs.

In Andalusia, the regional government announced that from the 2026‑27 school year infant education will be completely free for children under one year. The measure will cover roughly 60,000 families, saving each about €250 per month. Funding of nearly €400 million has been allocated to support the expansion, which also includes a modest increase in the monthly fee paid to schools for each place.

Both initiatives aim to expand access and improve quality in Spain’s early childhood sector, though they raise concerns about financial sustainability for private providers.