The Education Department has certified 596 new public nursery school places.

The Department of Education has certified the creation of new public nursery school places for children aged 0-3 by means of the Resolution of 6 August 2026, signed by the Director of Centres and Planning, Eugenio Jiménez Ibáñez. The certification covers the places created with NextGenerationEU funds between 1 January 2021 and 30 June 2026 and has been published in issue 152 of the Boletín Oficial del País Vasco (BOPV) on 12 August 2026, with official reference 2026/3577.

The resolution revokes the previous resolution of 9 June 2026 and adopts in its place a new list that reconciles the data at source. Indeed, it was found that there was a discrepancy between the number of places published in the June resolution and those included in the orders that created and authorised those places; therefore, it was decided to publish a new resolution aligning the data in the original orders with those now certified.

Programme framework

The Basque Autonomous Community has participated since the 2021-2022 school year in the programme for creating new public nursery school places in the first cycle, prioritising children aged 1 and 2. The programme is financed by the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (MRR) funds, managed by the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports (MEFPD), within Investment 1 of Component 21 of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR), for objective CID 309 (“early childhood education for ages 0-3”).

In accordance with the agreements of the Sectoral Conference on Education of 25 November 2021, 13 December 2022 and 13 December 2023, 1,518 places were allocated to the Basque Country for the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2025. However, that figure was reduced to 1,385 places after the redistribution carried out by the Ministry in April 2026.

Numbers: 452 and 144 places

The annex to the resolution contains two tables. The first lists those created by specific orders for each nursery school, totalling 452 places; the second, those created in joint orders of the Haurreskolak consortium, 144 places. Together, 596 places have been certified.

Among those created by specific orders:

• Bilboko Haurreskola-Zamakola (52 places), Order 3022 of 3 July 2026.
• Bilboko Haurreskola-San Inazio (39 places), Order 2919 of 30 June 2026.
• Bilboko Haurreskola-Elejabarri (26 places), Order 3910 of 2 September 2025.
• Donostiako Haurreskola-Intxaurrondo (21 places), Order 2989 of 2 July 2026.
• Gasteizko Haurreskola-Lakuabizkarra and Landaberde (16 places each), through 2025 orders.
• Eibarko Haurreskola-Blas Etxebarria (16 places) and Jazinto Olabe, through 2026 orders.

Among those verified through the Consortium’s orders: Bilboko Haurreskola-Indautxu (42 places), Bilboko Haurreskola-Larreagaburu (21), Galdakaoko Haurreskola-Bizkai (16), Güeñesko Haurreskola-Eretza (21), Astigarragako Haurreskola-Kiriketa (21), Donostiako Haurreskola-Urbieta-Urdaneta (13) and Hernialdeko Haurreskola (10).

In collaboration with municipalities

The new places have been created in collaboration with municipalities: in 2023 two direct grants were awarded to create public places for children aged 0-2, and in 2024 two calls were made (an open competition and a continuous competition). The purpose of the calls has been to cover the infrastructure and operating costs for municipalities of the Basque Autonomous Community for places created between 1 January 2021 and 30 June 2026.

The resolution recalls that the programme aims to extend the right of children and families to an accessible, affordable, inclusive and quality place, prioritising areas at greatest risk of poverty or social exclusion and rural areas, always meeting the minimum conditions for the first cycle.

The verifications provide certainty to families and municipalities: the public places created with NextGenerationEU funds are actually operational and are included in the official orders. The consolidation of data increases transparency and reaffirms the commitment to expanding public schooling for 0-3 year olds, facilitating the management and monitoring of places.

Source: Official Gazette of the Basque Country, issue no. 152, 12 August 2026, “Other provisions” section, pp. 1-6 (official reference: 2026/3577).