Intergenerational Education in Spanish Primary Schools: Making the Policy Case

ABSTRACT

The main purpose of this paper is to present the wider context and possibilities for developing intergenerational education in Spanish primary schools. Starting with an overview of the state of intergenerational relationships in the country, the paper moves onto positing that bridging intergenerational relationships across familial and non-familial settings is a pathway ahead to boost cooperation between generations. Schools in general and primary schools in particular are argued to be ideal intergenerational contact zones for such a bridging. Seven principles are put forward thinking of policy-makers who would like to consider the infusion of an intergenerational perspective in primary schools.

KEYWORDS:

• Primary schools
• Spain
• intergenerational education
• intergenerational programs

Acknowledgment

This work has been supported by Spain’s Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Reference EDU2014-52755-R. Regional governments in the Spanish regions of Andalusia and Murcia have collaborated in the project too.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad [EDU2014-52755-R].