Page 89 - Guiding-at-risk-youth-through-learning-to-work-Lessons-from-across-Europe

Guiding at-risk youth through learning to work
Lessons from across Europe

The project’s success is visible in its continued growth over the last nine
years. The project has been promoted as an example of good practice by most
education authorities in the UK, and Notschool.net pilots have since been
introduced in Ireland, New Zealand and Sweden.

5.2.5. Other second chance opportunities
This section looks into second chance opportunities offered by traditional second
chance schools, all-day schools and validation systems.
Traditional second chance schools can be found in most European
countries, including, Greece, Cyprus, Latvia, Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia.
Normally they are targeted at those who have not completed compulsory
education. Guidance plays an important role in some of these schools, but not to
the same extent as it does in youth schools and other innovative measures. This
is primarily because traditional second chance schools tend to attract school
leavers who are keen to return to education, including young parents who left
school to care for a child but are now ready to return to education.
In Greece, second chance schools (ΣΔΕ/SDE) have proved hugely
successful as particular emphasis is placed on acquiring the basic skills required
to enter the labour market. Greek second chance schools are aimed at people
aged over 18, who have not completed compulsory education. Participants study
for a period of 18-24 months to obtain a lower secondary education leaving
certificate (Apolytirio Gymnasiou) but work to a flexible curriculum, which allows
them to choose what best fits with their needs and interests. The second chance
schools focus in particular on basic qualifications and personal skills, important
for accessing the labour market.
All-day schools are another type of second chance/alternative school form,
allowing school leavers who cannot, or do not want to, attend regular school
classes to pursue compulsory school certificates outside normal school hours.
They have proved a success in Germany, Greece and the UK, although again the
relative contribution of guidance to these initiatives is not always apparent. All-
day schools in Greece seek to improve the educational, cultural and social role of
the school, as well as its ‘openness’ to society. They do so by encouraging
creative learning, enriching study programmes and experimenting with new forms
of school organisation and management. In addition, the lengthening of school
opening hours in Greece provides additional support to working parents who are
often unable to help their children with homework and other school work.
Validation of non-formal and informal learning is the recognition of an
individual’s competences, regardless of how and where these were developed.
Validation can support marginalised groups by helping them to increase their

83