It is possible to save money on education at all age levels in Andalucia - even for adults and third age students.

Beginning with nursery, it is not hard to find municipally subsidised care that might cost less than 100 euros per month - slightly more if your child stays for meals. Preschool is now offered completely free of charge in most municipalities, and takes place on regular primary school campuses.

Free state schooling is available for ages 6 to 16. At most schools the quality is acceptable at least through primary school. Less satisfaction is reported by parents of students at state secondary schools. However, with help from a dedicated, involved parent, and with careful choice of school it is possible to obtain a quality education in Spain without paying for more than books. And it is often possible to obtain a municipal subsidy to cover the prohibitive cost of text books.

During summer there is always a wide variety of activities on offer for children and young people, many of these at high cost. However, your local municipal sports centre and youth departments often sponsor excellent programmes at a fraction of their real cost. To obtain entrance it is a good idea to be informed well in advance of the subscription date as often lists fill and close quickly. Also, in the case that too many people sign up for an activity within the official subscription dates, entrance will be subject to a lottery based on a point system which favours low income families among others.

The municipal sports centre will also offer low cost after-school activities such as swimming, karate and football, depending on the resources available. And the local Casa de Cultura is another good place to find savings, this time on dance classes, painting, ceramics and other artistic endeavours.

Adults will find low-cost educational opportunities at their local Casa de Cultura, and these often include highly subsidised language courses. Libraries also sponsor educational, cultural events as well. The latter might very well be free of charge.

Those living on the Costa del Sol will find numerous clubs and associations, many of them with educational possibilities including lecture series, music appreciation and birdwatching. The University of the Third Age is among the best of these, offering a wide selection of courses to members, who only pay a low yearly fee in exchange for the opportunity to sign up for as many courses as they wish.

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