A report by FEREDE highlights the lack of access to evangelical religious education in Spanish schools, which in some cases amounts to restrictions of parental rights to educate their children in conformity with their beliefs.
A recent report of the Federation of Evangelical Religious Entities of Spain (FEREDE) about the religious freedom situation in the country highlighted several problem faced by evangelical Christians in Spain. One of the most pressing issues is the lack of access to evangelical religious education in schools, which, in some cases amounts to restrictions of parental rights to educate their children in conformity with their beliefs.
For example, during the 2021-2022 school year, more than 2,000 students who requested evangelical religious instruction in schools and institutes of Spain were left without receiving the requested teaching.
During 2024, in Andalusia region alone, it is estimated that at least 3,000 pupils have been left unattended without receiving the evangelical religious education requested. In addition, more than 1,200 requests from evangelical families in the Valencia region, who wanted their sons to receive a religious education in accordance with their own beliefs, were left unattended, a situation that has been maintained during the 2023-2024 year.
Update (23 July 2025): The Consejo Evangélico Autonómico de Andalucía (Andalusian Evangelical Council, CEAA) warned that more than 3,000 Evangelical pupils in Andalusia were expected to go without the religious education requested by their families in the 2025/26 school year. It linked the continuing shortage in preschool and primary schools to the unresolved transfer of responsibilities to the regional government and called for the measures needed to provide the classes.
Update (4 January 2026): During an interview in Madrid, Carolina Bueno, executive director of FEREDE, said that in 2025 many evangelicals in Spain faced inequalities such as the lack of a dedicated IRPF income tax box, pastors being left without pensions, and other limitations. She urged the government and regional authorities to adopt concrete measures in 2026 to address these disparities and ensure effective religious freedom and mutual respect.
Update (22 July 2026; announced 31 July 2026): FEREDE and the Ministry of Education agreed to begin reviewing the 1996 agreement governing Evangelical religious education in public schools and the hiring of its teachers. FEREDE told the Ministry that no new teacher contract had been formalised in 2025 in areas where the Ministry directly manages recruitment. It also reported that some schools omit Evangelical religious education from enrolment forms and that, in Ministry-managed areas, a group generally needs at least ten pupils before teaching hours are approved. The review and a further meeting were planned for September 2026. The July agreement did not itself provide the missing classes or change the rules governing access to them.