1997 European Union documentation gives the population of Spain as 39,143,394.

The gross national producat per capita is 11,669 Ecu and the workforce is broken up thus: 11% agriculture, industry 33% and 56% services.

Population	39,143,394
GDP per head	11,669Ecu

The role of continuing vocational training in the education system must be viewed in the context of reforms in vocational training since 1985:

The education system reform which established a new model for vocational training was widely tested and the subject of numerous debates during the eighties before being approved in 1990; its main characteristics are:

• basic vocational training during statutory secondary education and Bachillerato;

• specialised vocational training at medium or advanced level by modular training courses, including a practical training period in the work centres based on the concept of concerted training

During recent years there has been a marked growth in 'occupational' training offers (training for employment), managed by the labour administration.

These offers contained in the National Plan for Vocation Training and Insertion (FIP Plan) have had a significant influence on the provision of vocational training for target groups, such as women and young people, and have provided a stimulus for the development of continuing vocational training.

Adult education has played in this context a complementary role in training while targeting certain disadvantaged groups through specific programmes

Ther are two open universities, one government distance training institution and a very large proprietary sector. Spain is the leader in the provision of distance training in the European Union in terms of the focus of the Voctade enquiry: the volume of citizens enroled in a distance education or training programme at further or higher education level, public or private.

Government distance training provision

Proprietary distance training provision

Distance tecahing university

University level distance education

CIDEAD

In 1979 the Centro Nacional de Educacion Basica a Distancia (CENEBAD) was founded and this gives adults the possibility of studying at a distance for elementary level qualifications.

More recently INBAD has been restructured as the Centro para la Innovación y Desarrollo de la Educación a Distancia (CIDEAD), which has 5.000 students in vocational studies at a distance, 30.000 in adult second chance education and 60.000 in English courses at a distance.

In addition to this, to get a full picture of public provision, one needs to add 7.000 distance students from the Instituto Nacional del Empleo of the Ministry of Labour.

For a more detailed description of the functions, organisation and statistics relating to the CIDEAD please refer to case studies section.

The CIDEAD is a singular organisation in that it functions straddle both the organisation and development of courses in addition to development of technologies and attendant skills all at a distance. It is also of great significance that the CIDEAD remit is to monitor technological progress, and evaluate its applicability to distance education.

It is to be commended that Spain has had the foresight to create one organisation that can apply the rapid changes in technology in this sector. The presence of a single institutional organ is particularly significant in the distance education field because of the link between technological change and distance education. Distance education is particularly susceptible to the changes in technology .

Undoubtedly the sophistication of the system is dependent upon the importance given it by the Spanish government in the setting up of institutions such as the CIDEAD. An important contribution from the CIDEAD to the distance education sector and system of Spain and Europe has been the journal Revista des Educación a Distancia (RED) which contains opinion on the theory and practice of distance education and technologies that may affect it in the future, and that are being applied to it in the present.

In addition to this publication the CIDEAD has been involved in the development of literature on distance education methodology statistics, and other information in Spain. It provides a reference point for both investigators researchers and people interested in taking courses or finding out more about the system.

In October 1995 the Spanish Ministry of Education published a listing of distance education and training in Spain under the title Directorio de Centros de Educación a Distancia. This was prepared by the CIDEAD.

This 145 page publication is divided into two sections: public provision (centros publicos) and proprietary provision (centros privados) Public provision is divided into distance training and the open university, UNED. Proprietary provision is divided into colleges registered with the national Association (Anced) and colleges not so registered (otros centros privados). The presentation of government distance training is divided into provision from the Ministry of Education and from the Autonomous Communities.

ANCED

The main colleges are represented by a national organisation with offices in Madrid and Barcelona called Association Nacional de Centros de Ensenanza a Distancia (Anced). Anced publishes classifications of the courses available from member institutions.

The Asociación Nacional de Centros de Enseñanza a Distancia reports an enrolment for its members of 425.710 students for the 1995-1996 academic year, compared with 298.000 for 1993-1994. 74.500 of these are studying hobby courses at a distance with the remaining 351.210 in courses for vocational training at a distance. The rapid increase is attributed to a new apprenticeship contract; the funding of distance courses by the state, by the European Union and by large companies; and the prestige and reputation of Anced and its members.

Anced offers many functions to its members although its central function is the assurance of the quality of the courses offered by members. Requirements include a student support structure, minimum requirements of strict rules are applied to advertisements and the brochures of various courses. Anced also organise conferences on distance education gathering together world experts on distance education.

Anced is the only association of private distance education providers in Spain. The private institutions offer more than 600 different courses. The majority may be said to be vocational in that an estimated 10% are hobbies and pastimes. These courses do not lead to qualifications equal by the educational system nor to official recognition or accreditation. However, some of the courses may be said to be preparatory in that students having completed a course may then go on present themselves at examinations which the public educational administrations organise.

Anced applies on various statutes which regulate the obligations and rights of the educational centres which form its membership. These include the governing body and prices which should be charged. Anced regulates mainly through a commission for quality.

The commission of quality of Anced deals with assessing its members for the design and elaboration of courses.

Minimum standards are established and institutions must meet these in order to be admitted to Anced. An institution must recognise the authority of the commission in order to be admitted to Anced. The commission for quality is composed of 25 experts in different areas and methodological technicians. Amongst these are experts from the UNED.

In Spain there seems to be a compatibility between a comprehensive and well funded state distance education system and a flourishing proprietary distance education business.

Radio ECCA

The official constituent parties of the ECCA foundation are:

• The Autonomous Government of the Canaries
• Radio Popular Cope S.A.
• The Company of Jesus

The foundation gives various types of courses through their own radio programmes. The students rely on specific materials and tutorials which help them to follow the course.

Educational technologies:

Printed material
Exercise sheets
Textbooks
Teacher's manuals

Radio classes - complement in detail the scheme.
Students are associated with a fixed personal development centre.

The range of courses offered by the foundation is:

1. Basic general education, literacy, popular culture
2. BUP (secondary state examinations)
3. Courses which do not give rise to a qualification or diploma
4. Informal education

There is in addition a range of distance training colleges that are proprietary and not members of Anced and many of these participated in the Anced-organised XVth annual AECS distance education conference in Madrid in May 1996.

Planning for an open university in Spain began in the mid 1960s and was successfully completed in the context of the 1970 General Law of Education which aimed at far-reaching reforms in all areas of education to meet the demands engendered by the rapid economic, technological, social and intellectual changes which Spain was experiencing. Distance education is specifically mentioned as one way in which people could acquire qualifications at any level, irrespective of age and status.

UNED

UNED is equivalent in every way to conventional universities in Spain. Its degrees are of equal status; like the conventional universities, it offers discipline-based Carreras with fixed programmes of courses, without electives; and students are able to transfer credit between UNED and other universities.

1995-1996 statistics for UNED show a rapid increase to 152.168 in degree programmes (from 130.000 in the 1993-1994) academic year, with a further 15.000 in teacher training and other programmes. The university has a total staff of 1.795 including 869 full-time academic, 926 full-time technical staff and 114 part-time academics. 2.753 students graduated in 1994-1995 compared with 2.569 the previous year.

The university's annual income is made up of 40% fees, 35% grants and the average cost per student is calculated at only 40% of that of other Spanish universities. The 100 Associate Centres (Centros Associados) of UNED are listed in the Ministry's catalogue referred to above and include one centre each in Bonn, Caracas, Brussels, Geneva, London, Malabu, Mexico, Paris, Rosario and San Paulo.

The total enrolment figure for UNED for 1997 is 186,000. The UNED is thus a major institution in the landscape of distance education. UNED celebrated its 25 anniversary recently. This has been a time for reflection, evaluation and appraisal. Many articles have appeared highlighting the success of UNED and its acceptance by employers, professional bodies and the public at large.

UOC

The legal instrument of the UOC is that of a foundation consisting of representatives of of:

• the Council of the Chambers of Commerce of Catalonia
• The Catalan Savings Bank Federation
• Catalan Television and Catalan Radio
• The government of the autonomous region of Catalonia.

Virtual university

Originally, when the UOC was created in early 1995, it seemed clear that no other media besides the print-based modules could produce as many resources and fulfil so many needs with as little an investment. However, in less than two years the UOC has promoted and operated a shift on this assumption.

The Open University of Catalonia taught its first 200 students in the 1994-1995 academic years. It describes itself as a virtual, rather than an open university, and seeks to link its students electronically in Barcelona and the rest of Catalonia.

Other universities

1993-1994

1994-1995

1995-1996

1996-1997