Spain to End Fully Online Vocational Training, Mandate Minimum In-Person Hours for Private Centers
The government will abolish 100% online vocational programmes, requiring private providers to deliver at least 15%-39% face-to-face instruction and limit virtual class sizes to 50 students per teacher.
At a press briefing in Madrid, Education Minister Milagros Tolón introduced a draft Royal Decree intended to guarantee quality in private vocational-training centres. The legislation will eliminate programmes that are entirely online, imposing a compulsory 15%-39% on-site component for most courses and a 40%-60% requirement for semi-presential tracks, depending on the professional family. Virtual class sizes will be reduced step-wise, from a ceiling of 80 students per teacher in 2028-29 to 50 by 2030-31.
Private providers must also demonstrate sufficient resources, proper facilities, and stable partnerships with firms or public bodies to deliver practical training, and they will be re-certified every four years. Authorities may withdraw authorisations if standards lapse, though current students would be protected. The draft is now open for public comment and will later be examined by the Consejo Escolar del Estado, the Consejo General de la Formación Profesional, the Consejo de Estado and finally the Council of Ministers.
Why it matters
The reforms will reshape Spain's vocational education system and impact millions of students and private training providers.
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