The “Second Chance” program is aimed at adolescents, young people, and adults from diverse social backgrounds and of various ages who have not attended or have not completed primary and lower secondary education. The program offers these categories of people the opportunity to continue and complete compulsory education without having to interrupt any professional or family activities in which they are engaged.

The program is structured on two levels: Second Chance – Primary Education and Second Chance – Lower Secondary Education – the latter also having a vocational training component.

There is no upper age limit for those who wish to enroll in this program. The condition is that they have exceeded by at least 4 years the age appropriate for their grade and are in one of the following situations:

For the Second Chance – Primary Education program:

• have not participated at all in formal schooling;
• were enrolled but dropped out of primary education – regardless of the timing and reasons for dropping out;
• did not graduate from primary education by the age of 14.

For the Second Chance – Lower Secondary Education program:

• graduated from compulsory primary education (including through the Second Chance system) but did not continue their education further

or:

• graduated part of the grades corresponding to lower secondary education (5th, 6th, or 7th grade), but dropped out during this educational cycle – regardless of the timing and reasons for dropping out.

The Second Chance program is a flexible program, designed to motivate learners and encourage them to complete it, to offer more autonomy to schools regarding its implementation, as well as the necessary support to all those involved, through teacher training and educational materials for both learners and teachers. The program has introduced innovative elements into the educational process, such as: modular curriculum and a credit system for basic education, evaluation, certification and recognition of prior competencies acquired by learners, and the provision of individualized training programs.

Enrollment in the Second Chance program can take place every year in two sessions: October and February.

Students enrolled in the program may have very different levels and expectations. The new program ensures a transparent offer of modules that students can follow to develop competencies, as a result of participating in cooperative learning activities, in real contexts and with tasks and topics that respond to their interests and needs.

Learning will take place in small groups (8-15 students in each class). Courses can be conducted according to several timetable options (in the afternoons or evenings during the week, on Saturdays, or during school holidays, etc.) depending on the possibilities of both learners and teachers. Individual consultation hours are planned and made available to students.

The program has a flexible duration. The average schooling duration (2 years for primary education, and 4 years for lower secondary education) can be shortened for each individual student, depending on the proven competencies, both in the area of basic education and vocational training.

Graduates have the right to continue their studies, according to legal provisions, as follows:

Graduates of the Second Chance Program - Primary Education can continue their studies in lower secondary education;

Graduates of the Second Chance Program - Lower Secondary Education can continue their studies in upper secondary education (the upper cycle of high school) or can undertake practical training stages, after which they have the possibility of obtaining a Level 3 Professional Qualification Certificate.

For young people in the program, the graduation certificate will not only represent a personal success, but the chance for a new tomorrow.