| Abstract: | In Spain, the exercise of choice by parents of a suitable school for their children is not practised by all families in the same way. The evidence shows that an increasing social polarisation and a substantial disequilibrium in schooling are taking place in compulsory education. There is a high concentration of immigrant students in public schools in contrast with what happened in the centros concertados (private schools with public funding). This situation is especially unbalanced in some Autonomous Communities, such as the Community of Madrid, Catalonia, Valencia and Andalusia. The inequalities in the distribution of students in the network of public schools and private schools financed by public funds are producing significant responses from parents, teachers, experts, and also from other social groups. Some of the proposals made by different experts and by the Spanish Ministry of Education are analysed in order to reach to a quality education in more equitable conditions for all students. |
