It is our belief that educational reforms in Spain could make important contributions to expanding cultural awareness and equality. But such measures can only succeed with substantial support from the government. De Vreede's thinking (1990: 137) supports our ideas by pointing out that "the problems that pluralistic education tries to resolve are, ultimately, political problems, and it is very doubtful if education can resolve them alone."

Besides, it should also be noted that current trends which try to give more power to autonomous regions in Spain, are leading to increased motivation to strengthen regional languages and local traditions. This trend can easily be seen for example by observing that those moving into such regions, both from outside and from within Spain, are compelled to learn local languages, especially in schools. To a certain extent one can comprehend the conflict which is sometimes created between existing and incoming groups (Delpit, 1995).

The question, then, is whether the school system truly reflects and works for the development of Spain's diversity. Although multi/intercultural education is a social need, the school curriculum does not include any subject dealing with it. It shows that, in fact, up to now multi/intercultural education has been considered a kind of 'compensatory' education more than a general need (cfr. Bloom, Davis & Hess, 1965; Cueva-Álvarez, 1999; Jordán-Sierra, 1997; Jové i Monclús, 1996; Lara, 1991; Molina-Luque, 1994; Rosales-López, 1994; Swartz, 1992; Zigler & Muenchow, 1992).

The new Education Reform Act, from 1990 ("Ley Orgánica de Ordenación General del Sistema Educativo" -L.O.G.S.E.), establishes mathematics, foreign languages, Spanish, physical education, arts and a new area called natural, social and cultural environment as core curriculum areas in primary schools. The Act also establishes, for the first time, a certain number of cross-curricular areas on those relevant issues to be treated in a global way, through school activities and experiences. These issues deal with ethics and peace education, gender, equity education, health education, environmental education, and consumer education. Nothing is said about multiculturalism, except in the general aims of peace education, where the need for cultivating knowledge of and respect for ethnic, religious and cultural diversity appears (Gonzalo & Villanueva, 1996: 111; Sleeter & Grant, 1987, 1994; Sleeter, 1996).

As Gonzalo and Villanueva claim (1996: 108), despite being a long-established plural society, Spain is now experiencing a new and more varied wave of immigration, generating predictable educational needs, and some early experimentation in teacher education. We need to take a look at teacher preparation in Spain.