The Basque Government's Department of Education will expand the Haurreskolak Consortium network by incorporating five new centers and 175 new places, which will commence operations in September, coinciding with the start of the 2026-2027 academic year. This expansion aims to further strengthen the public educational provision for children aged 0 to 2 in various municipalities across Euskadi, responding to the increased demand observed in recent years.
To accommodate the opening of these new haurreskolas, an extraordinary enrollment period will be open from June 29 to July 8, targeting families with children born in 2025 and 2026. Applications must be submitted in person at the respective municipal town hall, which will then forward them to the Haurreskolak Consortium for processing.
The new haurreskolas opening their doors next academic year are: the Haurreskola of Getxo – Kresaltsu; the Haurreskola of Bilbao – Txurdinaga; and the Haurreskolas of Donostia / San Sebastián – Gros, Intxaurrondo Hegoa, and Loiolako Erriberak.
All procedures related to enrollment, application submission, and documentation presentation must be carried out at the corresponding municipal town hall, at the designated points.
With the addition of these five new haurreskolas, the Haurreskolak Consortium network will reach 248 centers throughout Euskadi, offering a total of 9,133 places for the 2026-2027 academic year. The free provision of the first cycle of Early Childhood Education (0-2 years), promoted by the Basque Government, has led to increased demand and enrollment in recent years, with 7,013 children currently enrolled.
Furthermore, construction, expansion, and adaptation works are ongoing in various municipalities, including Zamakola and Elejabarri (Bilbao). These actions will help align the provision with family needs and improve service coverage.
The Basque Government maintains the free access to the public Haurreskolak network to ensure universal access to early education and contribute to reducing inequalities. Beyond their educational function, haurreskolas serve as a crucial resource for work-life balance.
The construction, expansion, and adaptation works necessary for the launch of these centers have been financed by the European Union through the Next Generation EU funds, as part of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan.
The admission process timeline is as follows: application submission, from June 29 to July 8; provisional list publication, on July 17; period for claims and corrections, on July 20 and 21; deadline to withdraw application, until July 24; definitive list publication, on July 27; and the start of activities in the new haurreskolas in September 2026.
