Curriculum Diversification Programmes and Initial Qualification Professional Programmes: an alternative to school failure?

Programmes aimed at promoting diversity (attention to diversity) are included in the 2006 Spanish Education act (LOE) as an alternative approach to overcome the high incidence of school failure in compulsory education. The aim of the present study is to describe the perceptions of students who have not obtained their secondary education diploma and compare their views on Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO) and attention to diversity programmes (Curricular Diversification Programmes and Initial Qualification Professional Programmes). The research for this study was conducted in 18 schools, six in each provincial capital of the Basque Autonomous Community (three secondary schools with ESO and Curricular Diversification Programmes, and three with Initial Qualification Professional Programmes). Results indicated that the level of satisfaction among students was higher for the attention to diversity programmes than for the work methods developed previously in Compulsory Secondary education.