Initial Vocational Qualification Programmes. The Students' Perspective in the Basque Country

School failure in compulsory secondary education is one of the most serious problems dogging the Spanish education system. Initial vocational qualification programmes were designed precisely to offer a second chance to students who "failed" at secondary school. The aim of the research presented below is to assess how well initial vocational qualification programmes are working from the perspective of students attending the programmes in the Basque Country. The ex post facto study worked with a mixed (quantitative and qualitative) design and was based on data collected by means of questionnaires and in-depth interviews. The study selected all initial vocational qualification programmes not linked to Euskadi secondary schools. The selected schools were sent a questionnaire to be completed by four students selected randomly by the school headmaster or headmistress. A total of 210 students (70 %) responded. Later, in-depth interviews were held with students from some of the participating schools. The research results indicate that students attending initial vocational qualification programmes are satisfied with how the programme works. This satisfaction is closely linked to the development of relational skills (students learn to resolve conflicts, teachers foster a climate of trust), the job area (students learn a trade), the teaching and learning processes involved (which are practical, active and useful in real life), the guidance offered by teachers and counsellors (students learn suitable behaviour and pointers for taking decisions in future) and the health-related guidelines and habits involved (students learn to live a healthy life). A problem as complex as school failure calls for a community network of cooperation between educational and social institutions.