The “Second Chance” Program is aimed at adolescents, young people, 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 being forced to interrupt their professional or family activities in which they are involved.

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 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 abandonment;
• did not graduate from primary education by the age of 14.

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 some of the grades corresponding to lower secondary education (V, VI or VII), but dropped out during this educational cycle – regardless of the time and reasons for abandonment.

The Second Chance program is a flexible program, so as to motivate trainees and determine them to complete it, to give more autonomy to schools regarding its implementation, but also to provide the necessary support to all those involved, through training programs for teaching staff and educational materials for trainees and teaching staff. Innovative elements have been introduced into the educational process through this program, such as: modular curriculum and credit system for basic education, assessment, certification and recognition of competences previously acquired by trainees, ensuring an individualized training program.

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

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 acquire skills, as a result of participation in cooperative learning activities, in real contexts and with tasks and topics that meet their interests and needs.

Learning will take place in small groups (8-15 students in each class). Courses can be conducted according to various schedules (in the afternoons or evenings during the week, on Saturdays or during school holidays, etc.) depending on the possibilities of trainees and teaching staff. Hours are scheduled for individual consultations available to students.

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 individually, depending on the competences demonstrated, both in the field of basic education and in vocational training.

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

Graduates of the Second Chance Program - primary education may continue their studies in lower secondary education;

Graduates of the Second Chance Program - lower secondary education may continue their studies in upper secondary education (upper cycle of high school) or may undergo 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 be only a personal success, but the chance for another tomorrow.