When bringing children to Alicante, a choice needs to be made whether to educate them through the Spanish state system, or find an international school. The younger the child, the easier they find it to adapt to a new language, culture and educational system. Another consideration is how long you intend to stay in Spain; by choosing an international private school, the transition between Spain and your home country's education system, particularly higher education, is easier to manage.

State schools in Spain are operated by the local autonomous community which, in the case of Alicante, is Valencia. The local language of Valencian may also be taught within state schools. A full list of schools in the area, and whether they teach Valencian, can be found at www.alicante.es/ingles/education/centros-publicos. This site also details whether school transport and school dinners are provided. Students are normally registered in the school nearest to their residence. Many are used to welcoming foreign students and can provide extra Spanish tuition to help the transition. Registration for state schools is dealt with by the Education Office at Alicante Town Hall, (Calle Maldonado, 1, tel 965 98 05 80) and is open to the public Monday to Friday, from 9am until 2pm.

There are several private schools in the Alicante area that teach in English, yet include compulsory Spanish subjects too. The mix of nationalities means that students are prepared for examinations and university entrance for universities throughout Europe and the United States.

The European School of Alicante (Avenida Locutor Vicente Hipolito, Playa de San Juan) is part of an initiative organised by member states of the European Union and is one of a number of schools throughout Europe. Further details are available at www.eursc.org.

Another popular school is The British School of Alicante (Calle del Reino Unido, 5). Although 70% of the students are Spanish, the curriculum closely follows the British system.

A full list of private schools can be found at www.alicante.es/ingles/education/centros-concertados.

The University of Alicante is a well-respected learning and research facility with over 30,000 students spread over a total campus of one million square metres. It is one of the fastest growing in Spain, and welcomes students from around the world. There are currently over 2000 foreign students studying at the University, which has links with several international universities and exchanges can and do take place. Shorter courses, evening classes and Spanish tuition classes for foreigners are also available. More information can be found on their website, www.ua.es, which can also be read in English.

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