MÁLAGA, 3 SEPTEMBER 2026
More than 17,400 minors under three years old have started the school year today in the nursery schools of the province of Málaga. The figure stands at 17,417 students, representing an increase of 513 compared to the start of the previous school year.
Free early childhood education
The Junta de Andalucía has implemented free education for students aged one and two. This change has allowed 95.4% of Málaga families with children enrolled from 0 to 3 years old to access free education, an increase of 25 points compared to the previous year. This measure represents an annual saving of approximately 2,646 euros per child.
The territorial delegate for Education, Miguel Briones, highlighted the importance of these figures during his visit to the Cuco Teatinos Early Childhood Education Centre in Málaga, where there are currently 113 students enrolled.
Junta's projections and objectives
The Junta de Andalucía plans to implement total free education for the zero-year age group for the 2027/28 school year, ahead of the initial plan. This measure aims to promote work-family balance and improve the educational development of the youngest children.
The investment for this year's free education measure is 40 million euros in Andalucía, with a total of 290 million allocated for family support. Throughout the early childhood education period, the Junta will allocate 420 million, which represents a 58% increase since 2018.
The Ministry of Education has offered a total of 23,246 places for this school year and has a network of 379 educational centres in Málaga. It is estimated that the enrolment rate in Andalucía will exceed 60.14%, one of the highest in the country.
The nursery schools and early childhood education centres will offer services from Monday to Friday, excluding August, and will have hours from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm. The regular class schedule will begin on the third working day of September and end on the penultimate working day of July.
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