El papel de los municipios en la expansión de la red de edificios escolares públicos en España, 1920-1937

Abstract

The attempt to create a modern, universal system of primary education in Spain undertaken by the national government at the beginning of the twentieth century required the construction of thousands of new school buildings. Until 1920, responsibility for building schools lay with the authorities, although the generalised shortage of resources in most councils meant little was achieved. During the twenties and thirties, the State took the construction of new schools into its own hands, although it still required the initiative and cooperation of the municipal authorities. This article analyses the collaboration between local government and the Spanish State to achieve the largest increase in the number of school buildings in the country’s history.