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SEK Education Group, made up of SEK International Schools, the University Camilo José Cela and the Felipe Segovia Foundation, marks the 125th anniversary of its founding in 1892 in Madrid. SEK is the oldest non-denominational educational institution in Spain, and from its establishment it has taken on the challenge of adapting teaching models to the needs of each student and society, developing a singular and one-of-a-kind educational model.
SEK Education Group was born of a hundred-year family tradition of freedom and autonomy, free from any religious, political or financial ties. Over the years, it has added to its long cultural and teaching tradition, an innovative and pioneering spirit that has enabled us to meet the demands of society and spearhead cutting-edge education.
We are committed to offering a quality education according to our ethos, values and educational principles, which bring together the whole Educational Community and promote the individualisation of education, an emphasis on learning as opposed to teaching, a culture of personal effort, team work and striving for perfection.
Commemorative exhibition marking the anniversary
To mark the anniversary, an exhibition was opened on 23 June with 30 panels featuring images of milestones in the history of the Group. The exhibition was opened at the El Pabellón of University Camilo José Cela Villafranca Campus.
The exhibition was presented as part of the SEK Group’s annual event for staff, held at the close of the academic year.
Pioneers since 1892
Innovation is the main hallmark of SEK Group that, since its foundation, has been a pioneer in different aspects of education.
This 125th anniversary affords SEK Group a unique opportunity to contemplate the numerous milestones that have lead us to being at the forefront of education and to spearhead future educational innovation in Spain and the world. The SEK Group pioneered, for example, co-education schools in the 1960s, when it was illegal in Spain for girls and boys to share a classroom.
We were also pioneers in Spain in opening to the world. The SEK Group, in 1977, was the first Spanish member of the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IB), and the University Camilo José Cela was the first Spanish university to be recognized by the IB in 2016. SEK Schools were also the first Spanish schools to obtain the IB seal of quality.
These and many more milestones, over our history, have placed SEK at the forefront of education. Our ‘School for Parents’ (1972) became the Intelligent Classroom in 1995, an innovative concept in spaces to renew learning methods.
We have always kept abreast with the opportunities afforded by new education technologies, and have always promoted the most cutting-edge teaching initiatives, such as our High Achievement Star Programme that, in 1990, was the first programme in Spain to provide educational and psychological care to high achieving students and that today is a leading standard in education.
Another ongoing hallmark over our history has been our focus on culture with the Aula de Cultura SEK, the Salas de Arte SEK or the SEK Theatre Groups. Our commitment to sports is yet another of our defining traits.
The creation of the Club Deportivo SEK in 1964, the celebration of White Weeks (a term coined and made popular by SEK schools in Spain), the Sports Academies, the creation of the Marqués de Samaranch Olympic Chair and the recent launch of the SEK International Sports Academy are all examples of the importance we place on sports at SEK. In fact, SEK is the only educational institution to have been awarded two National Sports Prizes.
The SEK Group has taken its thirst for innovation to many different fields. In the field of oratory, SEKMUN and MIMUN, models authorised by the UN, are leading standards in the field of education in Spain; in solidarity and charity work, the SEK Group became the first UNICEF Partner School in Spain, and this year we were the first educational institution to become a UNICEF Ally in Spain; and in the field of education, the SEKLab EdTech has become the first education startup accelerator.
A tradition of innovation that, in the case of SEK Education Group, has a clear source of inspiration: Felipe Segovia Olmo.
A key figure in education in Spain and the world
Felipe Segovia Olmo (1936-2013), who devoted his life to teaching and founding the SEK Education Group as we know it today, will also be given pride of place in the celebrations of the 125th anniversary. He is considered author of truly pioneering advances in education and a leading light in the recent history of education. He has been awarded the Gold Medal for Work Merit, and more recently, the Grand Cross of Alfonso X the Wise.
His work and thinking constitutes a moral benchmark for SEK Education Group, which is today a leading standard in education. SEK International Schools have today over 5,500 students from over 70 nationalities in our schools in Madrid, Barcelona, Almería, Pontevedra, Dublin (Ireland), the Alps (France) and Doha (Qatar). The University Camilo José Cela has over 3,500 students.
