SALAMANCA.
Salamanca is not a very big city in the
north-west of Spain, about 200km from the capital Madrid. Salamanca was founded
before the IIIrd century. It has been declared a “World Heritage
Site” by the UNESCO in 1988 and was also designated “European City of Culture” in 2002. Walking along its streets, you can
find out the quantity of architectural marvels the city has. Meeting the people
there, the lively and student atmosphere, the magnificient culture and the
hospitality, you will know how Salamanca is.
THE
MONUMENTS.
In the city centre, near to the young
atmosphere, there is the Main Square: it is, surely, the most beautiful between
the arcaded squares in the world. It was built during the XVIIIth century.
It has, as a closer in the north wall, the city council building.
Very close to the Main Square, you find the
“Casa de las Conchas”, in English, “The shell’s house”. It’s considered as the
most representative monument of civil art from the Catholic Kings’s age.
Down the street, there are the two Cathedrals:
- The old one was begun during the XIIth
and it was continued in the next centuries. In the exterior, it has a Byzantine
dome.
- The new one was begun in the dawn of the XVIth
century; it was not finish until 1733. The principal front is a compositive and
ornamental ostentation.
Another important monument is the “Casa Lis”.
It is the Art Nouveau and Art Deco Museum. It is the earliest modernist
building of the city and its iron galleries and stairs are opened as a waterfall onto the river
Tormes.
Returning to the city centre, you find the
University. It is the oldest University in Spain, inaugurated in the beginnings
of the XIIIth century. The current building presents a very
beautiful facade with the bust of the Catholic Kings and the mythical
Salamanca’s frog.
Other important artistic buildings are the Palace of Monterrey and the Church of San Esteban.
IES MARTÍNEZ
URIBARRI.
It is a public High School, located in the
center of the city. There are about 950 students and 80 teachers. The studies
offered there, are: E.S.O. (Compulsary
Secondary School), “Bachillerato” and Vocational training on Health, Nursery,
Pharmacy and Dentistry, both Degrees (Medium and High).
Since 2007/08 it offers a Bilingual Section in
French and the possibility of doing the examination to obtain the DELF and DALF
Diploma(Diplôme d'études en langue française). During the last years, we have
been doing several exchanges with France (Castres), Germany (Braunschweig) and
we are going to do another one with the United States (Connecticut). We have also taken part in another Commenius project called “Femina”.
Speech
Salamanca is
located in the north-west of Spain, about 200km from the capital Madrid. It is
not very big; it has just approximately 160.000 inhabitants. It is a wonderful city
with a lively and student atmosphere and we would like to remark some
aspects:
1º:
Salamanca is very monumental and touristic. All its monuments, even the new
buildings in the center, are made of a stone which contains iron and so have a
characteristic golden color and this, gives a strong personality to the
town.
2º:
Salamanca is a vibrant university city. Every year more than 25000 students
from all around the world choose Salamanca to learn and practice Spanish.
Therefore, lots of cultural and sporting activities are offered during all the
year: conferences, theatre, concerts, art expositions...etc. A frog is the
symbol of the university.
3ºSalamanca
has a very important bullfighting tradition. Several famous bullfighters are
from its land.
4º:
Salamanca is also a modern and very commercial city with many trendy shops. The
shopping zone is located along the pedestrian streets close to the “Plaza
Mayor” and here, you can find everything you need. There are also small
traditional shops which sell “souvenirs”
and the typical handcraft of Salamanca, specially the “boton charro” which is
the symbol of the city.
Finally,
Salamanca has an intense nightlife with lots of pubs, bars, discotheques...So
that, students confirm it is a good luck to study here! It was the first town
in Spain which decorated in an original way, each pub, for example, there is a
submarine, a port, a carrousel, a church...
And about
our school, I will just say that it is located in the center of the city and
that it offers Compulsory an Upper Secondary studies and Medium and High
Vocational Training.
Let´ s see
the video and let´s discover Salamanca and our school!
SPANISH
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
Pantalla
general
In
Spain, education is compulsory for children from ages 6 to 16, but
all children can start their education at the age of 3 in Preschool.
Pantalla
pre-primary school
PRESCHOOL:
ages 3, 4, and 5
It
is not compulsory,
Its
aim is to contribute to the physical, emotional, social, and
intellectual development of boys and girls and to help them for the
transition into Primary School.
Pantalla
basic education
It includes
primary and secondary education
It is compulsory
from 6 to 16.
This education is
free in Public and Charter schools and you have only to pay for
private schools.
(Javier)
The
academic calendar tends to be the same for all schools: lessons
always begin in September and end in June. Vacation is in summer,
during the months of July and August.
The
school year is divided into three trimesters and after each trimester
there is a break for vacation: Christmas time, Easter and summer
holidays. There are usually three evaluations that coincide with each
trimester.
The
schedule tends to go from: 9 am until 13.30 pm in Primary school and
from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 pm in Secondary school.
There
is always at least one break of half an hour in the morning to rest
or have a snack. This break is called “recreo ”.
PRIMARY
EDUCATION: ages 6 to 12
(Javier)
There
are three cycles and in each cycle two academic years:
-
First Cycle. Ages 6 to 8
-
Second Cycle. Ages 8 to 10
-
Third Cycle. Ages 10 to 12
An
academic year can only be repeated once.
Its
aim is, to provide basic cultural skills: oral expression and
comprehension, reading, writing and mathematics. It will also develop
social skills, work and study habits, artistic sense and creative and
emotional growth.
COMPULSORY
SECONDARY EDUCATION (ESO): ages 12 to 16.
Its
aim is to provide basic elements of culture, specially the
humanistic, artistic, scientific, and technological aspects.
Its
aim is also to develop and consolidate study and work habits and also
to prepare the students for their subsequent studies.
This
phase is divided into four academic years:
There
are two cycles:
-First
Cycle: 1st
and 2nd.(ESO)
-Second
Cycle: 3rd
and 4th
(ESO)
At
1st,
2nd
and 3rd
all the subjects are compulsory:
-
Language, English, Mathematics, Social Sciences, Science of Nature,
Technology, Physical Education, Plastic and Visual Education,
Technology, Music, French, Religion or Alternatives Activities
At
4th
you have two electives subjects more:
if
you do not pass all subjects in June there is a new lease on
September. You can pass the course with two subjects (if those two
are not language and mathematics). Each year can only be repeated
twice.
Pantalla:
without Certificate
If
the compulsory education is not successfully completed, the student
can:
(leer
las pantallitas)
Pantalla:
with Certificate
If
students succeed, they receive the Certificate of Compulsory
Secondary Education Graduate. This certificate allows them to
continue with their studies either in Non-Compulsory Upper Secondary
Schools or in Vocational Training.
Pantalla
(bachillerato) non-compulsory upper secondary education
This
phase prepares students to begin University studies or Senior Level
Vocational Training.
It
consists of two academic years and various disciplines are offered,
with different general subjects and some of them specialized.
The
disciplines are:
-
Bachillerato in Humanities and Social Sciences
-
Bachillerato in Science and Technology
-
Bachillerato in the Arts
Pantallita
Universidad
After
Bachillerato you have two options: make a career college or access to
a higher vocational training .
To
access to University you must pass a test called “Selectividad”
(selectivity). According to the note, you can choose a college
career.
Pantalla
Vocational training
(
volvemos atrás a cuando obtenemos el titulo)
We have said
that with the Certificate of Compulsory Secondary School you can also
go to Vocational Training, so
This
phase prepares students to perform a specific job. There are two
levels:
Intermediate
Level Vocational Training and Senior
Level Vocational Training.
Pantalla
Intermediate Level Vocational Training
This
training lasts for two years and has a period that includes
internships in companies.
There
is a wide variety of courses providing good professional
opportunities.
Upon
finishing these studies, students receive the Certificate of
Technician.
If
you are 18 years or older, with this Certificate you can have an
entrance examination to enter Senior Level Vocational Training within
the same professional group.
Senior
Level Vocational Training
The
training lasts also for two academic years and includes a section
that includes internships in companies.
Students
receive the Certificate of Senior Technician, a very prestigious
professional qualification.
