In private schools, no student repeats 4th grade.

PalmIf you study at a private school, you're very likely to pass, move on to the next grade, and graduate without problems. This is reflected in the data from the 2025 Education Yearbook. For example, in the second year of primary school, 2.7% of students at public schools repeat a year, 1.8% at private schools, and only 0.4% at private schools. In the fourth year of primary school, the difference is even more evident: while 1.8% of students at public schools and 1.6% at private schools repeat a year, no students at private schools had to repeat a year during the 2024-2025 academic year.

In secondary school, the differences are even more marked. In the fourth year of secondary school, 8.1% of students at public schools repeat a year, compared to 1.5% of those at private schools and 5.1% of those at private schools. This pattern holds true for the other courses in the stage, with repetition rates consistently higher in the public sector and almost non-existent in the private sector.

Regarding the school graduation rate, that is, the percentage of students who manage to complete compulsory secondary education, the differences are also significant: 84.9% of students from public schools complete the program, 90.7% from private schools, and 98.9% from private schools. In the Baccalaureate program, this trend continues: 82.8% of students from public schools graduate, compared to 86.5% from private schools and 98.2% from private schools.

Why?

These inequalities reflect not only academic performance but also the structural differences in the education system in the Balearic Islands. Public schools tend to serve a greater diversity of students and a higher percentage of young people with Specific Educational Needs (SESE) or from families with lower economic means and educational levels, which impacts repetition and graduation rates. State-funded schools combine public funding with private management and can offer additional resources (for a fee), with academic results that are generally higher than those of public schools, but still below those of private schools. Private schools, with more intensive individualized monitoring, more resources, and, generally, more stable family situations, record almost zero repetition rates and virtually all students successfully graduate.

In short, school ownership remains a determining factor in academic outcomes in the Balearic Islands, with higher academic success in private and state-funded schools compared to public schools. The data show, once again, that resources, management, and the social context of students play a key role in educational development.