Back to school: From dropout to Second Chance Schools

Abstract

In this article, we explore the reasons why individuals who have dropped out of compulsory education in Greece return as adults to the educational system, particularly to Second Chance Schools. Second Chance Schools were planned and funded by the European Union two decades ago so that member states could offset the consequences of student dropout rates and counter social exclusion. In order to answer the question, during the school year 2018–1019, we carried out 23 semi-structured interviews with individuals who were attending Second Chance Schools in the prefecture of Eleia (Western Greece) or had graduated in previous years. The interviews were analysed using the Qualitative Content Analysis method. Four categories of reasons emerged from the analysis (instrumental reasons, inner needs, combined reasons and the influence of ‘significant others’) which reflect the varied ways of perceiving and utilizing Second Chance Schools. Although the majority of the participants belong to financially and socially impoverished strata, they do not face unemployment or marginalization. The use of the institution of Second Chance Schools in this particular area seems to be moving from reasons associated with social exclusion towards the fulfilment of other needs that were created by dropping out of compulsory education.