The public authorities shall give aid to teaching establishments which meet the requirements to be laid down by the law. The autonomy of the Universities is recognized, under the terms to be laid down by the law. The Spanish Educational System. Basic education is compulsory and free of charge, and it is extended up to the age of 16, the legal age for starting work. The educational system includes general and special education, i.e. the different levels of education are adapted to suit students with special needs.
All students have basic vocational training, which is given in secondary education.
Specific vocational training is organized at two levels, the first at the end of compulsory secondary education, and the higher level at the end of the 'Baccalaureate'. Improvement in the quality of teaching must be achieved via the renewal of the contents of the courses, improvement in human resources and material resources, and better use of the various instruments of the educational system. Religious instruction is must be available at all schools, but it is voluntary for pupils. Special systems are applied for artistic education and language learning. The main area of social change in Spain during the eighties was the educational system, in terms of the sums spent on education by the public sector.