Education in theBasque Autonomous Community is entirely free from the age of 3, and compulsory between 6 and 16 years. The majority of students are educated in theBasque language.
For children aged 3 years, and is available at a subsidised cost.
For children aged 3–6 years, and is both free and optional.
For children aged 6–12 years, and is compulsory and free.
For children aged 12–16 years, it is compulsory. Upon completion of this level of schooling, students with satisfactory grades have the option to continue their education for two additional years. Students will either pursue academic study in preparation for university entrance examinations, or follow a professional training course. Those who fall short of the satisfactory grades may attend professional initiation programmes as a precursor to entering the job market.
In addition to many institutions which specialise in vocational training, the Basque country boasts 4 universities. The publicUniversity of the Basque Country and theJesuit-owned privateUniversity of Deusto are two of Spain's most prestigious. TheOpus Dei-governedUniversity of Navarre has a campus in San Sebastian.The newest one is theUniversity of Mondragón, part ofMondragón Corporación Cooperativa.
In the mid- to late 1960s, Basque language schools began to spring up all over theSouthern Basque Country starting in nurseries and primary education. The new autonomous community of the Basque Country was granted autonomous powers with regard to education following the death ofFranco in 1975, and the option of an education entirely inBasque in schools calledikastolak took a legal status. There are four types of school differentiated by their linguistic teaching models: