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 find themselves 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;
• have not graduated primary education by the age of 14.

For the Second Chance – lower secondary education program:

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

or:

• have graduated part 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 learners and determine them to finish it, to offer schools more autonomy in its implementation, but also the necessary support to all those involved, through teacher training programs and educational materials for students and teachers. Through the program, innovative elements have been introduced in the educational process, such as: modular curriculum and the credit system for basic education, assessment, certification and recognition of prior competences acquired by students, ensuring an individualized training program.

Enrollment in the Second Chance program can take place, 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 in order to acquire competences, as a result of participating 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). Classes can be held in 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 hours are planned and available to students.

The program has a flexible duration. The average duration of schooling (2 years for primary education, and 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 vocational training.

Graduates have the right to continue their studies, according to the 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 cycle of high school) or can complete practical training stages, after which they have the possibility to obtain 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 another tomorrow.