The “Second Chance” program is addressed to adolescents, young people, adults, coming from various social backgrounds and of different ages, who have not attended or have not completed primary and lower secondary education. The program offers these categories of people the possibility to continue and complete compulsory education without having to interrupt their possible 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 corresponding to the grade and who are in the following situations:

For the Second Chance – primary education program:

• have not participated at all in formal – school – education;
• were enrolled, but abandoned primary education – regardless of the time and reason for dropping out;
• did not graduate, by the age of 14, from primary education.

For the Second Chance – lower secondary education program:

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

or:

• have completed part of the corresponding lower secondary school classes (V, VI, or VII), but dropped out during this educational cycle – regardless of the time and reason for dropping out.

The Second Chance program is a flexible program, so as to motivate the students and determine them to complete it, to offer more autonomy to schools in terms of its implementation, but also the necessary support to all involved, through training programs for teaching staff and educational materials for students and teachers. Through the program, innovative elements have been introduced in the educational process, such as: modular curriculum and credit system for basic education, assessment, certification and recognition of previously acquired competences by the learners, provision of an individualized training program.

Enrollment in the Second Chance program can be done every year, in two sessions: October and February.

The students enrolled in the program may have very different levels and expectations. The new program provides a transparent offer of modules that students can follow to develop skills, as a result of participation 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 take place according to several schedule options (in the afternoons or evenings during the week, on Saturdays or during school holidays, etc.) depending on the possibilities of the students and teachers. Individual consultation while at the students’ disposal is scheduled.

The program has a flexible duration. The average duration of schooling (2 years for primary education, respectively 4 years for lower secondary education) can be reduced for each student, depending on the competences demonstrated, both in the field of basic education and in the field of 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 (upper secondary cycle of high school) or can complete practical training stages, after which they have the possibility to also obtain a professional qualification certificate level 3.

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