The "Second Chance" program is aimed at adolescents, young people, and adults from various social backgrounds and 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 must have exceeded by at least 4 years the age corresponding to the class and are in the following situations:

For the program Second Chance – primary education:

• they have not participated at all in formal – school – education;
• they were enrolled but dropped out of primary education – regardless of the time and reasons for dropping out;
• they have not graduated, by the age of 14, from primary education.

For the program Second Chance – lower secondary education:

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

or:

• they have graduated part of the classes corresponding to lower secondary education (V, VI or VII), but dropped out during this education cycle – regardless of the time and reasons for dropping out.

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

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

Students enrolled in the program can have very different levels and expectations. The new program provides a transparent offer of modules that students can follow in order to form competences, as a result of participating in cooperative learning activities, in real contexts and with tasks and topics responding 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 (during the week in the afternoon or evening, on Saturdays or during school vacations, etc.) depending on the possibilities of the learners and teachers. Hours for individual consultations are planned at the students’ disposal.

The program has a flexible duration. The average schooling period (2 years for primary education, 4 years for lower secondary education) can be reduced for each student in part, depending on proven competences, both in the field of basic education and in the field of vocational training.

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

Graduates of the Second Chance Program - primary education can continue 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 complete practical training stages, after which they have the possibility to also obtain a Level 3 vocational qualification certificate.

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