The "Second Chance" program is aimed at adolescents, young people, and adults 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 opportunity to continue and complete compulsory education without having to interrupt their 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 including a vocational training component.

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

For the Second Chance – primary education program:

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

For the Second Chance – lower secondary education program:

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

or:

• have completed some of the lower secondary school grades (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, in order to motivate participants and determine them to complete it, to offer more autonomy to schools in its implementation, but also to provide 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 into the educational process, such as: modular curriculum and the credit system for basic education, evaluation, certification, and recognition of competencies previously acquired by the students, provision of 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 may have very different levels and expectations. The new program ensures a transparent offer of modules that students can pursue to develop competences, as a result of participating in cooperative learning activities, in real-life contexts and with tasks and topics that meet their interests and needs.

Learning will take place in small groups (8-15 students per class). Courses can be held according to several timetable variants (weekdays in the afternoon or evening, on Saturdays, or during school holidays, etc.), depending on the possibilities of the learners and teaching staff. Times are scheduled for individual consultations available to students.

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

Graduates have the right to continue their studies, according to the provisions of 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 studies in upper secondary education (upper cycle of high school) or participate in practical training stages, after which they have the possibility to also obtain a level 3 vocational qualification certificate.

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