Hospital classrooms, home tuition and long absences (atención educativa domiciliaria)

Terms used

• Aulas hospitalarias — Aulas hospitalarias are school classrooms inside hospitals with children's wards, staffed by teachers paid by the regional education department.
• Atención educativa domiciliaria — Atención educativa domiciliaria is home tuition for pupils who cannot attend school because of illness or convalescence.
• Absentismo — Absentismo is the school truancy procedure triggered when unjustified absences reach a regional threshold.
• Orientador — The orientador is the school's guidance counsellor, who helps adapt work for pupils with special needs.
• Jefatura de estudios — The jefatura de estudios is the school's head-of-studies office, which organises timetables and academic adjustments.

Key rules

• Hospital classroom: A hospital classroom usually starts once your child is admitted, without a formal application.
• Home tuition: Home tuition needs a written application to the school with a medical report stating the illness and expected length of absence.
• Justifying absences: Justify every medical absence in writing to the tutor so it is not counted as unjustified.
• Regional rules: Eligibility, school stages covered and the minimum absence differ by region.

What help exists

Spain's regions run two services that keep a sick child schooled. Hospital classrooms (aulas hospitalarias) are school rooms inside hospitals with children's wards. Home tuition (atención educativa domiciliaria) sends a teacher to the child at home during convalescence. Rules differ by region, so ask your child's school how your region handles it.

Hospital classrooms

Not every hospital has one. If yours does, teachers paid by the regional education department work with admitted children in small groups or at the bedside. Some regions also include day-hospital patients, and some use online tools to keep contact with the home class.

You normally do not need a formal application. The classroom usually starts once your child is admitted. The hospital teacher coordinates with your child's class tutor to follow the curriculum.

Home tuition after discharge or during long illness

Home tuition is mainly for pupils in compulsory education (Primary and ESO) who cannot attend because of illness or convalescence. Here is how to arrange it:

1. Ask the treating doctor or hospital for a medical report. It must state the illness and the expected length of absence.
2. Submit a written application with the report to the school. Do this with the director and the class tutor.
3. The school sends the file to the provincial education office or the regional inspectorate. They approve it and assign a teacher.

Decisions normally take a few weeks. In urgent cases the service can start sooner, so say so when you apply.

Regions set a minimum expected absence. It is commonly around 30 days. Some regions accept shorter or repeated absences, for example from a chronic condition or ongoing treatment. Ask the school which rule applies to you.

Justifying absences

Every medical absence should be justified in writing to the class tutor. Use the school's form or your regional school platform. Attach a medical certificate or appointment slip. For a long illness, attach the medical report.

Most regions expect this within a few days of your child's return, often 3 to 10 school days. Check the exact deadline with the school.

Absences with proper medical justification are generally not counted as unjustified. They do not start the school's truancy (absentismo) procedure. Unjustified absences can lead to contact from the school, then social services.

Catch-up work and marks

The class tutor coordinates catch-up. The tutor collects work and materials from the subject teachers and passes them to the hospital or home teacher. That teacher adapts the work, supports your child and reports progress back.

Your child's own school still decides marks and whether they pass. It uses the information from the hospital or home teacher. If your child needs adjustments, ask the tutor to involve the school's orientation department (orientador) and the head of studies (jefatura de estudios).

The timeline, documents and checklist below walk you through the steps, and the FAQ answers common questions.

Timeline and deadlines

• Get a medical report stating the illness and the expected length of absence: as soon as you know your child will miss a long stretch of school

• Submit the written home tuition application and report to the school: once the expected absence is long enough for your region, commonly around 30 days

• Wait for approval and for a teacher to be assigned: normally a few weeks, sooner in urgent cases

Check the minimum absence length and the justification deadline with your school, as both vary by region and school.

Documents you need

• A medical certificate or appointment slip from the doctor or hospital, as proof of illness or appointments.

• A written justification from you to the class tutor, on the school's form or through the regional school platform.

• A medical report from the treating doctor or hospital, attached when the illness is a long one.

Checklist

• Ask the school how your region handles home tuition, including which school stages it covers.

• Check whether the expected absence meets your region's minimum, commonly around 30 days, or whether repeated shorter absences are accepted.

• Justify every medical absence in writing to the tutor so it is not counted as unjustified.

Frequently asked questions

Does my child need a formal application for the hospital classroom?

No, hospital classrooms usually start without a formal application once your child is admitted to a hospital that has one. Not every hospital has an aula, so ask the ward staff on admission.

Can my child keep getting lessons after leaving hospital?

Yes, many regions pair the hospital classroom with home tuition for convalescence after discharge, but you still apply through the school with a medical report.

Do medical absences count towards absentismo procedures?

No, absences with proper medical justification are generally not counted as unjustified, so they do not trigger the absentismo procedure. Each region sets its own threshold for unjustified absences. A long illness may lead to home or hospital teaching instead.

Who decides whether my child passes after a long absence?

Your child's own school decides, because evaluation stays with the school. It uses the information sent back by the hospital or home teacher. The orientation department and the head of studies help with adjustments.