A Summary Report on the evaluation of the European Pilot Schools

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„Second Chance Schools“

Summary Report on the evaluation of the

European Pilot Schools

Presented by:

Karin Oster (Manager)

Eeva-Kaisa Linna

Jacques Jansen

Roxana Carvalho

October 2000

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CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1

BACKGROUND TO THE SECOND CHANCE SCHEME 1 KEY ASPECTS 1 EVALUATION REPORT 2 MAIN RESULTS 4 DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 7

CHAPTER 2: BACKGROUND TO THE SECOND CHANCE SCHOOL INITIATIVE 10

THE IDEA 10 STARTING PROGRAMMES 10 DEFINITION PROBLEMS 12 TARGET GROUP 14 IMPLEMENTATION PHASE 15 GUIDANCE AND MONITORING OF SCS 18

CHAPTER 3: PORTRAITS OF THE SCHOOLS 21

INTRODUCTION 21 TABLES AND PROFILES 22 CHAPTER 4: PARTNERSHIPS 57

INTRODUCTION 57 PARTNERSHIPS 59 LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL AUTHORITIES 60 ENTERPRISES 62 PROFESSIONAL INTEGRATION 63 EMPLOYMENT AFTER SECOND CHANCE SCHOOL 63 OTHER TYPES OF COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS 64 THE RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER SECOND CHANCE SCHOOLS 64 CONCLUSIONS 65 RECOMMENDATIONS 66

CHAPTER 5: PEDAGOGY 67

INTRODUCTION 67 RECRUITMENT OF TEACHERS AND TUTORS, QUALIFICATIONS AND CAPACITIES, TEACHER TRAINING AND ROLES IN THE SCHOOL 69 GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING 70 CURRICULA AND TRAINING PROGRAMMES, DISCIPLINES, INDIVIDUALIZATION 70 PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES, ON-THE-JOB LEARNING, LINKS WITH THE WORLD OF WORK 78

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES 81 CERTIFICATION – ASSESSMENT OF ACHIEVEMENTS 82 BACKGROUND TO THE SECOND CHANCE SCHEME 84 CHAPTER 6: CLIENT GROUP 86

INTRODUCTION 86 BENEFICIARIES 87 LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND ATTITUDES TOWARD LEARNING 91 CHAPTER 7: SECOND SCHOOL: A EUROPEAN PILOT 95

THE MODEL 95 THE ROLE OF THE CONSULTANTS 96 THE EUROPEAN DIMENSION 97 SHARING KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE 99 AN EXCHANGE STRATEGY 99 BUILDING OF BEST PRACTICE 100 THE ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS/ SERVICES 100

CHAPTER 8: SECOND CHANCE FOR SECOND CHANCE SCHOOL 102

MAINSTREAMING THE PILOT-PHASE 102 ALONG THE EUROPEAN CHALLENGES 103 MULTIPLYING SCS EXPERIENCE 103 LOOKING AT THE FUTURE 103

Second Chance Schools Summary Report Chapter 1

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CHAPTER 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

BACKGROUND TO THE SECOND CHANCE SCHEME

Member States are facing high rates of unemployment, especially among youths with low levels of schooling. This employment context, which is locally turning into a social emergency, contributes to discrimination against people living in conditions of social, personal and cultural disadvantage. Considering this situation, the Commission has accorded high priority to the fight against social and economic exclusion. In fact, combating exclusion has been one of the objectives set in the White Paper “Teaching and Learning towards the Learning Society”, adopted by the Commission in 1995. It is in this White Paper that the Commission proposed to encourage the establishment of Second Chance Schools that, together with the European Voluntary Service pro-gramme, were to become one of the two main tools to tackle exclusion.

Member States have been implementing a number of measures meant to offer train-ing alternatives to weak segments of the population with the aim of to facilitating their social and economic inclusion. Building on this experience, the Second Chance School scheme was developed to give youths without those skills or qualifications demanded by the labour market a new opportunity through education and training, social involvement and practice (learning through work). Mainstream education has proved insufficient because it has failed to look at all the factors, which place young people at risk of educational failure. The Second Chance Schools respond to this gap in the Member State’s educational systems by offering dropouts at risk of social ex-clusion good quality training opportunities that are customized to fit their needs. To achieve this objective, the projects have paid special attention to the recruitment of teachers and to pedagogical approaches, they have designed individualized learning programmes, they have established strong links with the world of work and they have emphasized the use of information technology.

The Commission backed the development of the Second Chance Schools, support-ing interested cities in the conceptual development of the projects and with the or-ganization of seminars and meetings at the European level to promote the develop-ment of the network. The sites of the Second Chance Schools during the experimen-tal phase 1997-1999 were decided through consultation with the governments them-selves. The pilot projects were set up in Marseilles (France), Halle and Cologne (Germany), Leeds (United Kingdom), Bilbao and Barcelona (Spain), Hämeenlinna (Finland), Norrköping (Sweden), Catania (Italy), Athens (Greece), Seixal (Portugal), Heerlen (Netherlands) and Svendborg (Denmark). They were launched gradually throughout this e pilothase. Some of the projects have already finished their first training programmes while others are still in the start-up thase.

KEY ASPECTS

The participating cities responded with the development of interesting projects that attempt to give a concrete answer for the youths in need of an alternative that the mainstream educational system could not offer. The Second Chance Schools that


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have been established are not just another institution offering training programmes; in drawing up their training and education programmes they have all adopted an in-tegrated approach that takes factors into consideration, which motivate and encour-age in a way traditional models do not.

The Second Chance Schools undertaken in the Member States have all adopted a different approach in their pursuit to provide dropouts with new opportunities to obtain adequate training and employability. This diversity in the models chosen by the Sec-ond Chance Schools is the result of local and national circumstances to which the projects are to respond. Nevertheless, these Schools share a set of common fea-tures, ones which relate to the rapport with local players, the teaching and counsel-ling approach, the relationship with the world of work and the context in which they are implemented.

These features have provided a shared framework for the conceptual development of the projects. The Commission has defined five main characteristics or principles the Second Chance Schools should follow:

1. A committed partnership of local authorities, social services and associa-tions and the private sector, with the la tter being a key source of training places and future jobs;

2. A different teaching and counselling approach focusing on the individual’s needs, wishes and abilities, and stimulating his or her active learning;

3. Flexible modules allowing the acquisition of basic skills (numeracy, literacy, social skills) to be combined with practical training in and by companies;

4. A central role for the acquisition of skills in and through informatics and new technologies;

5. Localization in districts where the young people targeted live and gather, thereby promoting a more integrated strategy for urban regeneration and opening up new horizons both for the young people and for the urban envi-ronment in which they live.

As this Report will show, these features have also been interpreted differently by the individual projects. The importance given to each of these features also differs. Since each school is influenced by local, regional and national circumstances, the imple-mentation of the common principles takes on different strategies and training models.

EVALUATION REPORT

This report attempts to synthesize the initial results achieved by the Second Chance Schools during the first three years of implementation of the scheme (1997-1999) and to identify their main contributions towards the fight against exclusion.

The European Commission launched an invitation to tender in early 1999 with the aim of assigning experts the task to carry out an evaluation of the proceedings of the Schools. The evaluation has been divided into five lots. Lot 1 was launched for draw-ing up the present Summary Report and a publication. Experts were designated to carry out three thematic studies on how the projects have been dealing with the three


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major challenges facing the Second Chance Schools: the development of strong lo-cal partnerships, the implementation of educational methods centred on the individ-ual and the profile of the target group. A fifth lot was designed for the coordination of the thematic experts’ work and the writing and publication of the summary report.

The thematic reports prepared by Lots 2, 3 and 4 have provided most of the material for this paper. The thematic fields dealt by these reports are:

Lot 2: PARTNERSHIP – local partnership, with the focus on businesses (ex-tent and nature of commitment, types of business and training courses, jobs available, type of agreement concluded with businesses, etc.);

Lot 3: EDUCATIONAL METHODS – innovation through an individualized, in-tegrated approach focusing on the individual, with each school’s curriculum being suitably structured and incorporating the new technologies, tying in with the existing educational and vocational training systems in the country con-cerned (recognition of qualifications, links with existing systems, added value);

Lot 4: PROFILE – profile (socio-economic and ethnic characteristics, domestic background, previous educational path, family ties, typologies), identification, recruitment (strategies, selection criteria, role of third parties, motivation) and school achievements of the target group.

The Commission's aim with the evaluation was to have a summary report drawn up that takes stock of the initial results achieved by the Second Chance Schools and the contributions they make towards combating the social exclusion experienced by un-skilled young people, considered from the point of view of both theory and methodol-ogy. Three thematic teams designated by the Commission adopted slightly similar approaches in their work. The teams followed a six step phasing:

1. collection of background information and data on the Second Chance Schools, the educational systems of the respective countries, setting up of priorities for the surveys and the design of questionnaires to support the collection of information and interviews;

2. visits to the Schools between October 1999 and June 2000 by all the expert teams. Some of the Schools have been visited twice;

3. processing of data and information;

4. participation in a conference organized by the European Commission dealing with the Second Chance Schools to discuss the preliminary findings of the evaluation (March 2000);

5. elaboration of the interim reports based on the feed back gathered in the March conference, and completing these when needed through additional inquiries, tele-phone calls and emails;

6. writing the final report.

This Report has been written keeping in mind three groups of readers: school policy makers, teachers and researchers. The aim is to identify the inputs that seem to have made a difference in the social and economic insertion of unskilled young people. The present Report should be viewed primarily as providing a conceptual framework


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for further study on the potential of Second Chance Schools as a tool to combat ex-clusion amongst youths.

In this report, the Second Chance School scheme is described in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 includes a profile of each pilot project. The results of the Thematic Reports are pre-sented in Chapters 4 to 6. The potential benefits and impact of the Second Chance Schools are outlined in Chapters 7 and 8.

MAIN RESULTS

It was a good chance for the Second Chance Schools to be implemented as pi-lot projects with a European dimension. First and foremost, their strength un-derlies in their innovativeness, in their comprehensive and integrated ap-proaches and their flexibility to address the versatile needs of the target popu-lation. In the light of the outcomes of the evaluation, the guidelines and princi-ples the Commission set for the Schools at their onset have turned out to have hit it right. The evaluation witnesses the importance of unprejudiced local and regional partnerships, the meaning of flexible, modular and work-related meth-ods and the central role of information technology. But it is essential to ensure the opportunities for a continuing training delivery and development work and to enlarge the network in the future.

The Thematic Reports have contributed to an understanding of important issues in the development of the Second Chance Schools and to how important they are in making the Schools effective tools in combating social exclusion amongst youths.

The study on “Partnerships” examines the types of collaboration among the Schools and the players concerned by the struggle against exclusion - local authorities, social services, associations, NGOs and enterprises. The findings confirm the key role of local authorities in the development of the Second Chance Schools. Being strongly involved in school management, their role goes beyond the provision of funding. Sur-vival of the Schools now depends largely on setting up new and long lasting agree-ments for the provision of future funding.

The extent to which the Second Chance Schools have given relevance to partner-ships with other training organizations or social services varies. The approaches cover multiple functions besides general education and vocational training pro-grammes, social involvement and practice (learning through work). Emphasis is also laid on cultural development and health issues. Assistance in job-search, vocational guidance and professional counselling are offered in many of the Schools.

The development of relations with employers has taken different patterns. Some Schools have established agreements with enterprises to be able to offer practical training in the real work environment with a view to a future job. Other Second Chance Schools have searched for a deeper commitment from the enterprises and have involved employer associations in the school’s decision-making. Finally, in some few cases, the enterprises have also played the role of providers of vocational training. Whatever their role in the project, results show the importance of developing strong links with the world of work for the Second Chance Schools. Nevertheless, en-terprises have been mobilised for professional integration and are very little involved in the financing of the projects.


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As to the national educational systems, rather many of the Second Chance Schools have established close contacts. There may have been the feeling that they needed to establish their own identity, distinct from mainstream schools, and so provide the Second Chance students with their own certificates or diplomas. Relationships have especially been established when the School is offering an option to accomplish and complete basic education, as is the case in most of the Schools.

Although Second Chance Schools have all developed significant partnerships with local players, there are some weak elements that emerge from the study that can be improved. The relations with other organizations combating exclusion and decision-makers in the field should be emphasized. Stronger links with these organizations will not only improve the understanding of the Second Chance Schools and their contri-bution, but also achieve a better implementation of the integrated approach. Another aspect that should be reinforced is the partnerships with the national educational sys-tems, even when it is clear that roles are different and the Second Chance Schools are seen as a transition between compulsory education and vocational integration. Finally, the Schools have all established links with enterprises but the relation with the world of work should be strengthened, giving room for a more active participation of enterprises in management and curriculum development.

The Thematic Report on “Educational Methods” has organized the study into six ar-eas, which allows a better understanding of the teaching strategies of the Second Chance Schools. In the future, if new Second Chance Schools are created, they should comply with the actual pedagogic requirements for their work in the following areas:

• Recruitment of teachers

• Guidance and counselling

• Curricula and training programmes

• Pedagogical approaches

• New technologies

• Certification/ assessment

From the analysis of the above areas some common aspects emerge, although each school is applying an educational method developed to fit their local circumstances.

Almost all Schools have searched for highly motivated teachers experienced with youths caught in difficult life situations. Qualifications are taken into consideration but are not the decisive element. Because of the particular characteristics of the target population, interpersonal and communication skills have been considered an essen-tial requirement

Social competencies are important and in most Schools the teachers have the dou-ble role of teacher/tutor. This double role of teachers has proven to be an appropriate approach and the youths themselves have appreciated the deep dedication of a grown-up person, something that was often missing in their previous history.


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The systems of guidance and counselling of the Second Chance Schools have sup-ported the social and professional integration of the young people. As the Thematic Report has found out, Second Chance Schools have often applied a comprehensive integration of guidance, counselling or mentoring across all activities. Besides, the staff is always available when they are needed, a factor that gives the students the feeling that they are not left alone and that they can always count on them.

The analysis of curricula and training programmes shows the concern of Second Chance Schools in the development of basic skills. All offer, in one form or another, training in the mother language, mathematics and computing for those students who lack completed basic schooling. However, the emphasis that is given to these basic skills varies greatly from school to school, as too does just how the concept of indi-vidualization is applied.

Although the Second Chance Schools declare to be using individual training pro-grammes and developing training paths based on the students’ aspirations and needs, data collected in the Schools on obligatory hours and subjects does not seem to confirm this. Where the Schools clearly differ from traditional training is in the amount of training that takes place outside the traditional classroom, at work or work-shops. The Schools also count a great deal on informal learning, not through subject areas laid out in the training programmes, but rather on unusual events or meetings scheduled on purpose. This would for example cover club-type sessions offering thematic discussions on matters of civic importance or learning through experiences in extraordinary settings like wild-life. An important area is learning the life skills and this is an issue practically all Schools emphasize. The adaptation of the principle that new technologies should play a central role, both as a subject taught at the School and a means to learning, varies a lot from school to school. In some Second Chance Schools the use of information technology is far from satisfactory. The thematic re-port has found out that this result is mostly due to a lack of suitable hard-ware/software, a lack of experienced teachers or simply a lack of interest in IT. Nev-ertheless, as can be seen, some schools are further ahead in information technolo-gies and have even developed their own software.

Another important aspect that the report analyses is the extent to which the degree of integration into the formal educational system and the freedom of curricular design affect the ways the Schools assess the achievements and learning outcomes of their students.

As the Thematic Report on Educational Method shows, the characteristics of the ta r-get group imply an approach that goes beyond the teaching activity itself. These youths have very fragile social backgrounds and so it is important to win their trust. If the Schools are to become effective tools in the fight against exclusion, they have to offer personal attention and have teachers and tutors capable of building a relation-ship with the students based on trust and respect.

What the youths attending Second Chance Schools expect of the training pro-gramme is that at the end they will have gained the skills necessary to get a job. If the Schools are to motivate and attract these youths, they have to offer a work-related programme. The Schools are very much aware of this and when looking at their teaching approaches and methodologies it is possible to see that the emphasis has been given to work-related methods. The introduction to the world of work at the earliest possible stage is found in most Schools. However, experimentation with new


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teaching methodologies that can strengthen the work-related programmes should be emphasized.

Like all the work-related methods, collaboration with industry is fundamental and Second Chance Schools have to broaden and strengthen this collaboration, which al-though promising but could be expanded.

The evaluation of the Client group is an attempt to profile the students of the Second Chance Schools – as to their socio-economic and ethnic characteristics, domestic background, previous educational path, family ties, recruitment strategies, selection criteria, role of third parties, motivation and school achievements. The study has car-ried out discussions in the Schools with the relevant parties and conducted extensive questionnaires covering the experiences and opinions of the respective parties in-volved.

The work has not been easy as all the Schools do not – for different reasons like na-tional legislation and restrictions to protect privacy and confidentiality – register all data that was of interest for the evaluation team.

Defining the characteristics of the participants and featuring the students is a difficult task. What they share in common across Europe is that their transition from youth to adulthood and from school into the world of work has been disturbed. The reasons for this are various, many rising from their backgrounds and childhood, over-generational unemployment, school problems, school allergy and under-achievement, delinquency and abuse of substances. But what they also share in common is their interest to learn through work and in the work itself.

Recruitment also takes many forms and here the third party involvement is often cru-cial. Employment authorities and social services play an important role in the identifi-cation of the potential student. But also the participants themselves play an important role in the recruitment of others as they speak about their experiences in the Schools, arousing interest in the programme and generating new clients.

The ages of the students range in average from 15 up to 25. The Athens Second Chance School is an exception, and the programme there is basically geared to ma-ture students, mostly in the age range between 30 and 50. The reasons for this choice are local and pursue the aim of enhancing the labour market prospects of these people.

The issue of the participation of the two genders is interesting. In some Schools the share is about even (boys slightly dominating), but two Schools (Halle, Heerlen) de-liberately only take on males. The reasons for this lies in the experience of the youths themselves, who in their teenage years often feel uneasy and troubled with their awakening sexuality and relations with the opposite gender.

DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Exclusion as a term has no precise definition, but it is striking and popular, a buzz-word, an over-generalized expression used so easily today. It may be seen as a catch-all phrase lacking specificity in its meaning. Certainly, concern about exclusion


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is mutual, but its root causes and the means to combat it are the subject of heated discussion.

Second Chance School is a concept introduced in the White Paper on Education. Originally, the intent was to set up only 4 to 5 pilots but out of a larger interest grew a family of 14 Second Chance Schools. Combating exclusion is first and foremost the responsibility of the Member States and their national, regional and local authorities. The question is whether it is likely that an initiative like the Second Chance Schools can serve to alleviate deep-seated forms of exclusion and in doing so intrudes into an area that is traditionally catered for on national grounds.

The important question is to what extent a European programme can effectively ad-dress exclusion while operating and taking effect largely at the local level. Is there a need for a transnational programme, or even a national project when the problems are local and a local partnership to combat exclusion may be enough? Who then are the local partners, who has a need for collaboration, what are the interests, who is the most reluctant counterpart who needs be challenged?

One may also raise questions about the justification of such an initiative. Is it just a project among the innumerable projects catering for youths threatened by exclusion and inaction, fulfilling the functions the traditional school (and the society) failed to execute? On whose values is it created? On what right? Is it a choice for the educa-tional system or an additional measure and what is it aiming at? An educational entity taking on the responsibility of upbringing the family home traditionally had? Ex-pressed in terms of ‘combat of exclusion through education and training’ - what is the message? Is it giving a false picture about managing to enter the world of work with-out nationally accredited vocational qualifications? And the name of the initiative, Second Chance Schools, does it bear a stigma, one that might label the students or is it a hint on what the Schools are doing, a political project. Social exclusion of the youth is something Europe cannot and will not tolerate.

The morals of such an approach may not be answered but there is certainly a good number of lessons the evaluation of the Second Chance Schools provides us with. The recommendations that follow are an attempt to contribute to the expansion and improvement of the Second Chance School Initiative. They are not meant to be ex-haustive but do intend to facilitate a wider recognition for and to reinforce the impact of a scheme that has proved itself to be a valid tool in the fight against the social ex-clusion of youths.

The Commission, as the initiator of the Second Chance Schools, could give relevant support, and not only directly to the Schools and respective Member States, but also to the Association of Cities for Second Chance Schools.

The network of partnership already existing within the European Association of Cities for Second Chance Schools represents an important opportunity to develop the con-cept and to promote common projects. This network would therefore deserve to be expanded to include those towns launching initiatives to combat exclusion.

To strengthen the scheme, the participation of the Second Chance Schools in ex-change programmes for teachers and youths in the framework of existing EC pro-grammes or specific initiatives should be promoted. The teachers and youths them-


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selves could be the means for further exchanging the concrete contents of the entire endeavour.

Member States, and in particular the Cities involved, should work together with local players to avoid stigmatisation, promoting the message of Second Chance as one of a Second Challenge. As the target population of the Second Chance Schools are youths with a fragile social background who are at risk of social exclusion, measures should be taken to have the training recognized as high quality training. Many Schools are working on a certification system, but the commitment of the companies on this matter is also very important.

Second Chance Schools should emphasize the relation with other bodies com-bating exclusion and decision-makers in the field. Stronger links with these bodies will not only improve the understanding of the Second Chance Schools and their contribution, but also achieve a better implementation of the inte-grated approach. The Schools should also establish closer links with enter-prises to strengthen the relation with the world of work, so giving room for a more active participation by the enterprises in management and curriculum development.

Finally, but not less important, the characteristics of the target group imply an ap-proach that goes beyond the teaching activity itself. These youths have very fragile social backgrounds and it is important to win their trust. If the Schools are to become effective tools in the fight against exclusion, they have to offer personal attention and have teachers and tutors capable of building a relationship of trust and respect with the students.


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CHAPTER 2: BACKGROUND TO THE SECOND CHANCE SCHOOL INITIATIVE

THE IDEA

The Second Chance School Initiative was presented for the first time to the public in a White Paper put out by the European Union, "Teaching and Learning Towards the Learning Society", published in November 1995. The White Paper defined key objec-tives in relation to the future need of a learning society:

• encourage the acquisition of new skills

• bring schools and business closer together

• fight against exclusion

• proficiency in 3 community languages

• treat capital investment and investment in training on an equal basis

The 3rd objective is the main aspect of SCS, but they actually also work on objectives 1, 2 and 5. In fact, several hundred thousand young people living in the European Union, most of them in large metropolitan conurbations, are without access to train-ing schemes or employment. This situation is unjust. It also threatens the cohesion of our society and the future of the European social model and represents a waste of human resources. Two instruments to tackle exclusion were mentioned in the paper: The Second Chance School Initiative and the European Voluntary Service. Dialogue and partnership on a local level - between the various economic players, voluntary and community associations and public authorities - were to play a part in halting this development. For this to happen, these parties had to accept that they needed to work together and pool all the human and material resources at their command. Company sponsoring of schools, recruitment agreements between schools and em-ployers, and the development of advanced educational technologies were just some of the ways in which excluded youth could obtain better access to knowledge and so attain a satisfactory level of qualification within an appropriate teaching environment.

Therefore, the Commission proposed to help catalyse energies in order to get a number of projects up and running swiftly, and to make sure that they received the right attention and appreciation. This was done by encouraging the exchange of good practices and by mobilising the various players concerned within the European Union.

STARTING PROBLEMS

After the publication of the White Paper, the issue of the Second Chance School Ini-tiative became controversial. As school education has always been an original com-petence of Member States, the European Union cannot directly affect their education policy, even more the EU has no competence. In the EU Treaty, the EU is explicitly forbidden to influence the content of education. The title of the new initiative was cer-


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tainly only one of the reasons why most of the EU countries blocked a wider discus-sion and financial funding.

The European Commission understood the situation and presented its own action as an innovative input rather than as a new mainstream approach. The so-called Accel-erated Schools in the USA and Alyat Hano’ar (an institution in Israel specialized in the education of youngsters exposed to especially acute problems during adoles-cence) served partially as examples. On the other hand, the Commission was very well aware of the necessity of using a bottom-up approach to implement such new pilot schemes.

The question of the competence of education and training led to a further controver-sial issue. Four main arguments used by the Member States to describe the difficul-ties both they and experts face are:

• that the Member States feared an “institutionalisation” of the SCSs in their countries (against the principle of subsidarity);

• that the dogma of “prevention” would dominate – that is, there would be no readiness to admit that prevention doesn’t always work;

• that the term “Second” implies stigmatisation and contributes to the forma-tion of “ghetto” mentality;

• that certain “perverse” effects are generated – the SCSs as a ‘école pou-belle’.

Apart from the institutional form that these projects would take- whether inside or outside the conventional educational system-, they needed to be adapted to the needs and structures of the local training systems. These projects seek to demon-strate that excluded young people in situations of great difficulty possess inherent capabilities. In turn, these capabilities could be developed if the proper resources were concentrated on

projects to reinsert them into society and employment. In fact, the idea of achieving social and economic reintegration was a crucial point to this concept.

The European Commission pilot idea was based on a two-way strategy:

• Experimenting with a new type of educational site;

• Linking these new sites in a synergistic fashion with structures already set up by Member States.

The Pilot projects were intended to show that a second chance must not mean "ghetto-schools". The task of Second Chance Schools was to improve the access to knowledge through

• employing the best teachers (if necessary paying a higher than normal sal-ary),


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• customizing the pace of teaching,

• providing new incentives,

• arranging in-company training,

• using multimedia

• and running classes containing fewer pupils.1

Second Chance Schools were primarily designed for urban areas with districts af-fected by a large number of social and economic problems. They could serve as community education centres for the community concerned and they could also play an integral role in local development projects. Following this concept, the Pilot Pro-jects were established in cooperation with actors involved on the local level.

The Second Chance School Initiative targeted socially excluded young people. Its main objective was to reintegrate these young people into social and working life by offering them a wide range of good-quality training opportunities suited to their indi-vidual needs. Therefore it was necessary, as a first step, to understand the situation of these young people, to recognize their attitudes and needs, and to be aware of their realistic employment prospects within the local labour market.2

At the beginning of the initiative, the bottom-up approach, which followed the very different educational systems of the Member States, led to an intensive debate about the definition of school dropouts.

DEFINITION PROBLEMS

Since the European Member States have different education and training systems, they also have also different notions and understanding of education. The first phase of the debate was characterized by controversial positions regarding the preventive approach of education offers and the demand of a first chance for young people. The second phase then extended to include a further aspect concerning the definition of school dropouts. The definitions and approaches of many other international organi-zations, such as the OECD (Organization of Economic Cooperation and Develop-ment), are based on an educational understanding. According to these approaches, school dropouts are defined as young people who have left school without obtaining a secondary level degree. The philosophy on the Second Chance School of the European Union is nevertheless based on the problem of social exclusion. It com-bines the social and employment dimensions with the educational dimension.3 This is also confirmed in the Common Principles of Second Chance Schools. The main objective of SCS has always been the integration of the target group into an educa-tion and training programme in order to gain employment.

1 European Commission, White Paper "Teaching and Learning. Towards the Learning Society", 1996 2 Guide on how to set up a Second Chance School 3 In both the understanding of these three dimensions as well as in setting priorities, the Member States pursue differing approaches.


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Teaching strategy should cover the pursuit of those qualifications relevant to the lo-cal labour market.

The OECD has a wide range of studies on this issue. It underlines that education ‘failure’ was once seen as an almost inevitable, if regrettable, consequence of schooling. Today, failure has become a target of policy action in its own right. Efforts to prevent failure, to boost overall achievement, and to reduce the incidence of school dropouts are being driven by a range of economic and social concerns. Re-cent studies show that some 15–20% of young people in OECD countries leave sec-ondary school without the skills and qualifications they need to enter to the labour market. This shows the urgent need for developing alternative learning concepts in most of the countries. 4

Both the portraits of each School as well as the findings will show the variety of the different theoretical bases, including the different educational and social issues faced.

Since the birth of the SCS Initiative in late 1995 and 1996, a lot of new developments linked to employment, social and education policy on the European level have taken place. The European Employment Strategy as well as the agreements reached at the Lisbon Summit in March 2000 put the SCS even more in line with the efforts un-dertaken to reach social integration by improving education. Furthermore, the Lisbon Summit underlined the objective to reduce the target group. It has been recognized by all EU Member-States that this investment in education and training is more bene-ficial than social integration or labour market measures.

Following the same concept, another key priority set by the OECD is to be found in the fact that policy makers should act early in tackling this problem. Once its differ-ent manifestations have been properly identified, rapid action should be taken to prevent pupils from failing and – as underlined as well in the Employment Guidelines – to prevent long-term unemployment. Moreover, it would also be more efficient to address the problems early. According to the OECD experts, overcoming failure re-quires a long-term effort by educational authorities in conjunction with teachers and parents. In order to mobilize public support and to coordinate the work of the relevant agencies, clear leadership on the national level is required.5

The ongoing discussions about the SCS led to a set of common principles. The par-ticularities of each school would depend to a large extent on local and national cir-cumstances. However, some characteristics are common to all projects:

• a committed partnership between local authorities, social services and as-sociations, and the private sector, with the latter being the key source of training places and future jobs,

• a different teaching and counselling approach focusing on the individual’s needs, wishes and abilities, and stimulating his or her active learning,

• flexible modules allowing the acquisition of basic skills (numeracy, literacy, social skills) combined with practical training in and by companies,

4 The OECD Jobs Study, OECD Publications, Paris, 1994 5 Education Policy Analysis, OECD Publications, Paris, forthcoming 1998


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• a central role for the acquisition of skills in and through information tech-nologies,

• localization in districts where young targeted people live and gather in or-der to promote a more integrated strategy for urban regeneration which would give new perspectives to both the young people and their urban en-vironment .

TARGET GROUP

The definition of the target group of Second Chance Schools covers a wide range of persons. On the one hand, it respects the education and school system of each Member State and, on the other, the chosen bottom-up (local) approach. The target public consists of socially excluded young people who have dropped out of the edu-cation system, who are no longer subject to compulsory schooling and who neither have the qualifications nor the required skills to find a job or to enrol in one of the existing vocational training programmes.

Allowing such youths and younger adults an entry back into the process of life-long learning has been set as one of the main goals to be achieved, complemented by guaranteeing long-term social and vocational integration.

Dropping out of school early, or leaving without any qualifications at all, makes it very difficult for these persons to find work. Having been more or less cast out by their families, they earn money through occasional work. They drift from one badly paid, dead-end job to another and often get sucked into a life of long-term unemployment, or, worse still, of violence, crime and drugs. The other end of the street shows that the same young people are interested in life and possess a lot of ability. Thus, the objective to cultivate such positive attitudes has been set as one principle for every Second Chance School.

Related to the target group, the OECD speaks of a ‘process’ which students experi-ence and which has to be perceived by adults who deal with them. There are three aspects to be considered:

• failure at school itself, when pupils are consistently low-achievers or do not attain a minimum standard of performance at a given level of schooling

• early school leaving, with pupils dropping out of school before the end of their statutory education period

• post-school transition, whereby some young adults have difficulties in inte-grating into adult life because of their lack of suitable qualifications or skills.

Because of the flexible and bottom-up principle, the number of participants as well as their age class has been varied from school to school. Some SCS have been work-ing with a group of 50, others with more than 300. The youngest pupils were 15 years old, the oldest 25 (as an exemption, 59 in Athens).

Table 2.1: Age of Students in Second Chance Schools


BBJ BiPeG mbH 15

Schools Number of students

Age Majority group

Athens (Gr) 42 21 - 59 + 30 Barcelona (Sp) 180 16 – 25 16 – 18 Bilbao (Sp) 150 15 – 22 16 – 17 Catania (I) 54 16 - 20 - Cologne (D) 840 16 – 24 + from 18 on Halle (D) 24 15 -19 16 - 17 Hämeenlinna (Fi) 184 15 - 25 - Heerlen (NI) 24 16 - 24 - Leeds (Uk) 45 16 - 24 18 - 20 Marseilles (F) 220 16 – 25 18 – 22 Norrköping (S) 32 16 + - Seixal (P) 39 16-25 - Svendborg (DK) 237 16 – 25 16 – 20

IMPLEMENTATION PHASE

The whole discussion and the aspects mentioned above have led to a situation wherein the implementation of SCS has taken place in the following conditions:

• the Second Chance School Initiative has not been carried out in an gener-ally conducive/constructive/good political climate.

• the participation of the Member States in the SCS Initiative has not been obligatory and did not show an equal involvement.

• the Second Chance School Initiative has not been implemented under the condition of an European Programme; all expenditures incurred by the schools had to be met locally/nationally (cf. Chapter 5: Table ‘Financing of Second Chance School’). In this way the influence upon content by the EU was reduced greatly, the influence the EU could exert was at the most of a consulting character.

• only for conducting experience exchange and consultancy and monitoring were financial resources available

The pilot projects were launched in 1996 after publishing a call for accreditation. The Commission received a total of more than 300 expressions of interest from local au-thorities between 1996 – 2000.

In all of the Member States this event took place in close cooperation with the minis-tries concerned. The site of the SCS was selected by the Member State in question on behalf of the Commission’s proposal. In other countries, working links were estab-lished directly with the selected towns. The goal of setting up one school per Member State could not be reached, because Ireland, Luxembourg and Austria decided not


BBJ BiPeG mbH 16

to take part. Belgium, interested from the beginning, withdrew their participation after it became clear that no direct funding was available for the SCS itself.

Table 2.2: Overview of the Starting Conditions at the Beginning of the Pilot Projects

France Portugal

Common acceptance by Commission and member states of Marseilles, Seixal as sole candidates

Germany Spain

Nomination by the land or region (Spain) in question on proposal of the Commission, following Commission proposal based on comparison of various candidates (about five in both countries)

Netherlands Nomination by the Dutch minister, following a Commission proposal based on com-parison of two candidates

Greece Sweden Finland Denmark

Minister proposed site to the Commission, no other valid candidates existed

Italy Great Britain

Various candidates (22 Great Britain, 5 Italy) were analysed by the Commission. Gov-ernment proposed a site independently of analysis

Luxembourg A SCS being developed. Commission proposed it as pilot, not confirmed by the Lux-embourg government

Austria Ireland

Objections to the SCS approach, candidates existed in Ireland, potentially also in Aus-tria

Belgium No valid candidates that could be discusses with authorities

The pilot projects were not set up at the same time. For different reasons the schools could not start concurrently. One of the problems is to be found in the fact that the schools were financed by different financial resources (local, national, and European resources). The acquisition, as well as the redistribution of the financial resources, were executed at different times and following different procedures.

The first SCS (Marseilles, France) was established in November 1997, the last one opened its doors in 2000 in Athens (Greece). The European launch of the pilot pro-jects took place in Brussels on the 18th and 19th of June 1997.

Within the SCS Initiative there has been one Pilot School each in Denmark (Svend-borg), Finland (Hämeenlinna), France (Marseilles), Greece (Athens), Italy (Catania), Portugal (Seixal), Sweden (Norrköping), the Netherlands (Heerlen), the United King-dom (Leeds), and two each in Germany (Halle and Cologne) and Spain (Bilbao and Barcelona). A second pilot was also selected in France in 1999 (Bordeaux), but its launch ran into political problems at a regional level.

Table 2.3: Creation and opening of the school


BBJ BiPeG mbH 17

School New crea-tion

Creation of a new activity within an ex-isting establishment

Network model

Re-labelling of provision

Athens 4 February 1997 Spring 2000

Yes

Barcelona* 13 February 1998

Yes

Bilbao 16 January 1997 November 1997

Yes

Catania* 25 February 1997 February 1999

Yes

Cologne / Tages- und Abendschule TAS 5 November 1997

Yes

Cologne / Tageskolleg VHS 5 November 1997

Yes

Halle (S.T.E.P.)* 4 June 1997 1998

Yes, within Jugend-werkstatt Bauhof as the

S.T.E.P. project

Hämeenlinna* 4 February 1997 October 1997

Yes, more a concept than

a school

Heerlen* 1 July 1997 April 1999

Yes

Leeds* 4 December 1997 March 1998

Yes

Marseilles December 1996 November 1997

Yes

Norrköping* 19 February 1998 January 1999

Yes, within the Marie-lund Gymnasium

Seixal 10 April 1997 Spring 2000

Yes

Svendborg 10 November 1999, replac-ing Ribe from 6 June 1997

Yes, on the Svendborg Pro-

duction High School

* Indicates, that the school is empowered by and maintains firm links to the parent school. This may be that they have daily intercommunication like attribution of human resources across the schools, access to the localities and facilities, exchange of material etc.

The experiences gained during the three years working phase has led to a greater interest and openness towards this new approach by both key players and politi-cians.


BBJ BiPeG mbH 19

• information science and new technologies in the training of unskilled per-sons

• improvement of individual training plans

• co-operation at local, national and European level

• development of specific methods for project planning and implementation.

Addressing these tasks, a framework of selection criteria covered issues as:

• long-term experience in the work with the target group and deep knowl-edge of it

• knowledge and experience in the field of the SCS concerned following their specific concept and target group

• knowledge of education, social and employment policy and the related sys-tems of the country concerned

• experience in counselling and monitoring of innovative concepts

• competence in partnership guidance

• network capacities and capabilities

• competence in fund raising and financing possibilities.

The monitoring of the projects became the priority of the consultant work after the single SCS started to operate. This had to be carried out in cooperation with the Schools and it covered the following activities:

• Providing continuous information on the contents and progress of each project through the use of standardized monitoring forms and regularly up-dating by the consultant,

• Ensuring that the various SCS develop according to the Common Criteria, helping to solve problems the Schools may encounter in this respect in the course of their development,

• Ensuring that the management of every Second Chance School completes and updates individual files on every pupil in the school, information has been collected on the situation and progress of specific pupils. Information provided had to allow both statistical analysis and the elaboration of more personalized data of specific individuals, including the education and train-ing pathways they were following in the SCS.

• Providing continuous feedback on press and media coverage of the SCS, both national and local.


BBJ BiPeG mbH 20

In the framework of their tasks, the consultant provided inputs for the different types of European cooperation. One has been used for the exchange of experience, stock-taking and problem-solving meetings, in which reports on the progress and difficulties faced by each project was provided. As to the thematic seminars, the consultant had to identify speakers and participants to represent the pilot projects as well as inde-pendent academic experts or practitioners. A similar contribution has been made by the consultant in connection with the organization of evaluation seminars.

22

Table 3.1:

564

276 237 220 190 184

350

56 40 35 21 25

139

400

100

200

300

400

500

600

Cologne TAS Cologne VHS Svendborg Marseilles Bilbao Hämeenlinna Barcelona

Number of students and teachers/counsellors(Schools > 100 students)

Number of teachers/counsellors

Number of students

23

Table 3.1:

5445 47

3932

24 24

10 6

179 9 5 7

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Catania Leeds Athens Seixal Norrköping Heerlen Halle

Number of students and teachers/counsellors(Schools < 100 students)

Number of teachers/counsellors

Number of students

24

Table 3.2:

Cologne TAS

Cologne VHS

Svendborg

Marseilles

Bilbao

Barcelona

Students per teacher/counsellor

10,1

6,96,8

10,5

7,6

1,3

8,8

0,0

2,0

4,0

6,0

8,0

10,0

12,0

Students per teacher/counsellor(Schools > 100 students)

HeerlenHalle

Students per teacher/counsellor

5,4

7,5

2,8

4,3

3,6

4,8

3,4

0,0

1,0

2,0

3,0

4,0

5,0

6,0

7,0

8,0

Students per teacher/counsellor(Schools < 100 students)

26

Table 3.3:

9,0

3,5

2,4

3,74,0

13,1

1,6 2,5 1,82,3

2,13,0

1,8 2,0

0,0

2,0

4,0

6,0

8,0

10,0

12,0

14,0

Cologne T

AS

Cologne V

HS

Svendborg

Mars

eilles

Bilbao

Catan

ia

Leeds

Athens

Seixal

Heerlen

Halle

Barce

lona

Students per computer

27

Table 3.4:

Svendborg

Life skills35%

Foreign languages

2%Computer knowledge

12%

Vocation-related

knowledge35%

Basic knowledge

15%

Curriculum Ratio (Schools > 100 students)

Hämeenlinna

Basic knowledge

6%Other41%

Computer knowledge

1%

Vocation-related

knowledge5%

Life skills47%

Marseilles

Basic knowledge

60%

Foreign languages

5%

Vocation-related

knowledge25%

Computer knowledge

10%

Cologne VHS

Vocation-related

knowledge50%

Basic knowledge

30%Life skills

5%

Computer knowledge

5%

Foreign languages

10%

Cologne TAS

Basic knowledge

40%

Life skills20%

Vocation-related knowledge

20%

Foreign languages

10%

Computer knowledge

10%

Bilbao

Vocation-related

knowledge70%

Foreign languages

4%Life skills

7%

Basic knowledge

14%

Other4%

Computer knowledge

1%

28

Table 3.4:

Athens

Basic knowledge

40%

Vocation-related

knowledge10%

Life skills20%

Foreign languages

10%Other

0%Computer knowledge

20%

Seixal

Other0%

Foreign languages

10%

Life skills10%

Vocation-related

knowledge10%

Basic knowledge

50%

Computer knowledge

20%

Leeds

Life skills26%

Foreign languages

4%

Computer knowledge

31%

Basic knowledge

27%


7%

Other5%

Norrköping

Computer knowledge

4%

Foreign languages

5%

Life skills12%

Basic knowledge

16%

Vocation-related

knowledge63%

Catania

Foreign languages

30%

Computer knowledge

30%

Basic knowledge

10% Vocation-related

knowledge10%

Life skills20%

Curriculum Ratio (Schools < 100 students)

Halle

Basic knowledge

20%

Other15%

Life skills10%

Vocation-related

knowledge50%

Computer knowledge

5%

Heerlen

Life skills25%

Computer knowledge

20%

Foreign languages

5%

Other35%

Basic knowledge

10%

Vocation-related

knowledge5%

Second Chance Schools – School Profile –

29

Second Chance School Institute for Continuing Adult Education

Athens (Greece)

Contact: SCS Address: 60 Mitropoleos Str, 10563 Athens SCS Director: Phone Fax e-mail Mr. Jafirakibis (+301) 3314931 (+301) 3314930 [email protected]

School data: SCS Start March 2000

Teachers Students 2000 Age of students Exits 1999 School surface 17 47 (14 boys, 33 girls) 21-59 years - 800 m²

Curriculum: Financing:

Duration of school: 72 weeks Annual budget: 246.025 €

Average hours per week: 21 hours Budget per student: 5.235 €

Percentage of ‘on the job’ learning as against classroom learning:

10 %

Main financing source:

State: 35 % EU ESF: 65 %

A. General situation:

Greater Athens is the most significant industrial and commercial area in Greece. It also has the strongest concentration of population: one third of the national population, with a density of 7,090 inhabitants per square kilometre. Young people are particularly hard hit by unemployment, especially those with a low or no qualifications and low skills. The municipality of Peristeri has an unemployment rate of about 14 %.

B. Legal status:

The Athens Second Chance School is set up within the framework of Ideke, an Institute of private law.

C. Location:

The actual location is in Peristeri (a town in Greater Athens), where the SCS rents part of a secondary public school.

D. Dimension:

At the moment the existing target group is up to 50.

E. Duration and stage of implementation:

The start of the Second Chance School was in March, 2000. The students stay for 18 months, two periods of 9 months.

F. Infrastructure, facilities:

The SCS has at its disposal 6 rooms for classes and administration. The SCS is fully equipped with computers, Internet linked, video, T.V., audio-visual equipment, etc.

Computer knowledge20%


10%

Life skills

20%

Foreign languages

10%

Basic knowledge

40%


30

G. Human resources:

The staff is composed of: 13 teachers, 1 director, 2 psychologists, 1 secretary and one per-son responsible for links with enterprises.

H. Characteristics of the students:

Young unemployed men and women with a low income looking to improve their social and working status.

I. Finance:

National and European funding


31

Escuela Segunda Oportunidad Barcelona

(Catalonia – Spain)

Contact: SCS Address: Plaça d'Espanya 5, pl 5ª, E - 08014 Barcelona SCS Director: Phone Fax e-mail Paco Peralta (+3493) 3429411 (+3493) 3429429 [email protected]

School data: SCS Start November 1998

Teachers Students 2000 Age of students Exits 1999 School surface 40 350 16-25 160 3.000 m²


Duration of school: 50 weeks Annual budget: 2.223.263 €



60 %


Municipalité de Barcelone


Over the last few years Barcelona has undergone a series of very positive economic trans-formations, it has become a major service centre, now has a much improved transport and communications infrastructure, various amenities, and has plugged into the European and international economy. Nonetheless, transformations have not always been without social and spatial costs. Serious urban imbalances have arisen and various problem areas have been created in Barcelona's urban fabric. One of the city's most pressing problems is hous-ing. The price of houses has more then doubled (122% growth) in the eight years between 1986 and 1994.

This unbalanced transformation has equally affected the local labour market. Of 100 unem-ployed persons in Catalonia, 25 are in Barcelona. The unemployment rate is 10,4% in the city. Insufficient education still applies to 136,858 persons, 12,2% of the population. There are growing imbalances in education level between various districts of Barcelona, with some areas experimenting a growth in qualifications and other areas. Likewise, the trickle-down effects of development generated by economic development have not been sufficiently felt in some areas of the city.

B. Legal status:

The management of the Second Chance School of Barcelona is in the hands of the Munici-pal Education Institute of Barcelona City (IMEB). The IMEB is a municipal company with the task of formulating policy in relation to education and developing vocational training. The SCS is organized as a network of training centres.

C. Location:

The Second Chance School of Barcelona, that means its resource centre and the secretariat, is located in Ciutat Vella, the gothic part of the City. This area is one of the five most difficult, poor and deprived areas of Barcelona. The different professional training centres, in which students of SCS are placed, are spread all over the city.


32

D. Dimension:

350 students. The students are placed, according to their own choice, in the different training centres. Every group in the specialized professional training centres consists of 15-20 stu-dents.


The students generally stay in the Second Chance School for 2 years, but in reality the stay depends on the chosen profession. Tutors accompany the students’ progress in the enter-prises.


The classrooms are equipped with personal computers (one for every two beneficiaries), and special emphasis is placed on the creation of multimedia materials that facilitate individual-ized learning.

G. Human resources:

Management team of IMEB- Guarantee Social Programme Director of the School 20 tutors, in-company tutors 20 trainers, vocational trainers

As expected the average is 10 beneficiaries/tutor or trainer


Only the students located in the Centre are considered part of the SCS. Nevertheless, the Centre also offers job counselling to other youths. The target group is youths over the age of 16 who have left the education system. Typically, these young people find themselves with low levels of basic skills, frequently coupled with negative experiences of education. With no prospects of improving their social situation, they risk being caught in an irreversible spiral of marginalisation and exclusion.

Two main criteria: 1. The students are grouped together in the Centre but are students of regular training institu-

tions. This gives the students a context of "normality" since they attend institutions that are open to everybody. The Diploma does not have the negative value of a “special school”.

2. The Centre works with the social services since any unsocial behaviour is reproduced in their area. The students behave differently in their own area.

I. Finance:

The Second Chance School is financed by the City of Barcelona


33

Escuela Segunda Oportunidad de Bilbao Bilbao

(Biscayan Province – Spain)

Contact: SCS Address: Lan Ekintza A.A., Uribitare, 18, 48001 Bilbao SCS Director/ Manager: Phone Fax e-mail Mr. Ricardo Barkala (+3494) 4205300 (+3494) 4205313 [email protected]


Teachers Students 2000 Age of students Exits 1999 School surface 25 190 (146 boys, 44 girls) 15-22 years 137 1.130 m²


Duration of school 35 weeks Annual budget: 908.518 €



14 %


State/ Municipality (50 %)

EU ESF (50 %)


The overall rate of employment in Bilbao is 52%, which is low in relation to the EU average. The region's employment rate has worsened due to a decline in traditional industries such as steel and shipbuilding. At least 25.7% of the active population is unemployed (41,800 in to-tal), of which 70% has been unemployed for more than a year. Youth unemployment is 57%. The rate among young women is close to 60%. In the popula-tion group 15 –19, approximately 10% had no primary school diplomas and by the final year of compulsory education in Bilbao the failure rate is 27 to 30% Low educational levels characterize the area. It has been estimated that approx. 5% of the residents are illiterate, 75% reach primary education and only as little as 5% reach secon-dary education or have a diploma. With regard to the 15 -18-age group, approx. 20% do not even finish primary education.

B. Legal status:

A three-tier management structure has been set up: - Firstly, a single public body responsible of the project in dealing with the European au-

thorities: Bilbao City Hall - Secondly, a municipal company or local development agency dependent on the Employ-

ment Department of Bilbao City Hall, responsible for the operational management of the project: Lan Ekintza Bilbao, S.A.

- Thirdly, a broad group of players forming a partnership within the project and participating in its different stages according to their characteristics. This group includes The Bilbao Metropoli-30 Association, administrative authorities such as the Basque government and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, Prospektiker (a publicly owned body) and others.

C. Location:

Bilbao la Vieja and the Otxarkoaga areas are perhaps those most hard hit in terms of social, economic and urban degradation. The SCS will be placed in Bilbao la Vieja, the old harbour area of Bilbao, which is now characterized by a multitude of urban problems: urban degrada-tion, pollution, unemployment, poverty, prostitution and so on. The school will be one ele-

Vocation-related

knowledge70%

Foreign languages

4%

Life skills7%

Basic knowledge

14%

Other4%

Computer knowledge

1%


34

ment in a broader strategy to rejuvenate the area, the thorough refurbishment of buildings, development of small enterprises, etc.

D. Dimension:

Class activity started in November 1997 with 150 students. The number progressively grew up to 400.


The overall duration of the programme is 24 months. The first group of students is at the end of the programme.


The SCS of Bilbao is located in a former state primary school in the Bilbao La Vieja district, which has been adapted to suit the needs of the project. It has several workshops for learn-ing trades, although the beneficiaries are able to use other workshops and facilities at Lan Ekintza. The classrooms are equipped with personal computers (one for every two benefici-aries), and special emphasis is placed on the creation of multimedia materials that facilitate individualized learning.

G. Human resources:

School Principal Personnel from Lan Ekintza (1 Director, 1 Responsible person for peda-gogic aspects and 1 accountant), 10 teachers responsible for the workshops, 15 tutors.


The majority (70 %) of students in the SCS are between 16 and 17 years old. 77 % are boys and 23 % girls. Ethnic minorities are mainly Gypsies (22,5 %) and North African (1,5 %). Educational level: compulsory education completed – 42,5 %, not completed – 55,5 %. 90 % quit school in the 6th or 7th grade. Family situation: 61 % living in two-parent households and 25,5 % in single-parent house-holds, the remaining in institutions or with relatives. 68 % of the students claim to have a poor relationship with their parents, and 27 % have run away from home for a period ranging from two days to a month. The act of running away is a habitual response to family problems for 12 % of the students. The income level is classified as low or very low (70%), with both heads of family unem-ployed or collecting a pension, with an education level that rarely goes beyond primary schooling. The family, school and social situation has brought about a high level of social conflict. With no physical, organized alternatives in leisure and free time, 'hanging out' has become the main pastime.

I. Finance:

50% ERDF and 50% local co-financing (Municipality of Bilbao, Biscayan Government, Basque Government and Spanish Government)


35

Scuola della Seconda Opportunità Scuola Media Statale "Francesco Petrarca"

Catania (Sicilian Region – Italy)

Contact: SCS Address: Via G. Gioviale 11, 95123 Catania SCS Director: Phone Fax e-mail Mr Santo Gagliano (+39095) 7141765 +(39095) 7142762 [email protected]

School data: SCS Start: February 1999



Duration of schools: 50 weeks Annual budget: 619.748 €



60%

Main financing source: State (95 %)


• Youth unemployment: Overall unemployment in the south of Italy is very high, reaching 21%. Youth unemployment is even higher and in the region of Sicily extends up to 30%. In the City of Catania and its surroundings the situation worsens considerably. Overall unemployment is 22%, while youth unemployment is almost 50%.

• Average level of education: The level of education is low, with 30 % rate of school failure. Most people who abandon the school system try to follow a vocational education course.

• Main local industries: The service sector is the most important in terms of employment. Although tourism is important for the region of Sicily, Catania does not represent an in-teresting place from this point of view. Handicrafts are important although employment in this sector is getting lower due to a lack of interest among the youth to learn from local ar-tisans.

B. Legal status:

The SCS of Catania is a special module of the Middle School "Francesco Petrarca”. Initially, the Middle School was only to host the project and not to manage it. But since the City lost interest and the Middle School Division of the Ministry of Education is to finance the project, the Principal of the Petrarca School is the only responsible person for management. In fact, all the funds for the SCS module are channelled through the Petrarca Middle School. In prac-tice, by operating in the same facilities, it is difficult to distinguish the funds going to the regu-lar schools from those to the SCS.

C. Location:

The SCS is located in the Trappeto North neighbourhood. It is a depressed peripheral area of the City hard hit by social, economic and urban degradation.

D. Dimension:

The SCS started in February 99 with 4 groups of 20 pupils. Although it had a dropout rate of 25% in the first 6 months, the SCS has not filled the vacancies made available by the drop-outs because its approach does not allow for that flexibility.

Foreign

languages

30%


36


It has now finished the first two years of operation, the length of the programme.


The infrastructure and facilities are the same of the Petrarca Middle School. Since the school population of the Petrarca school has grown significantly since the beginning of the initiative, it is not possible to provide the SCS with a separate area as initially planned. To solve this space problem, the Principal has organized the class activity of the SCS in the evenings. Using the same facilities has impeded the Principal to equip classrooms and labs according to SCS students' needs. Some of the labs in the multimedia section of the Petrarca Middle School have been recently equipped with the funds made available by the Ministry of Education. Since the SCS does not provide any vocational training, the budget originally planned for equipping vocational training labs has been allocated to pay the fees of the companies that will provide this specific training. The purpose is to increase the range of training opportuni-ties and the possibilities for getting a job after the training programme.

G. Human resources:

There has not been a selection process for the teachers of the SCS. The Regional Educa-tion Office has assigned them to the Petrarca Middle School. Most of the teachers come from the "150 hours school" which is a Ministry of Public Education programme aimed at adults that have not finished compulsory education. Therefore, they all have experience with adult education. The teachers have no knowledge of multimedia tools, innovative teaching methods or foreign languages. None of the teachers have been previously involved in a European project and have no knowledge of European programmes.


The students are between 16-22, are all Italians and 99% of them have finished compulsory education. They do not present a problematic population. Most of them have strong family support, have had some work experience and are attending the SCS programme just be-cause they see the School as a mean to get a job. They are only interested in the vocational training provided by the enterprises and attend the regular classes because they are obliged to do so. During the selection process they were asked the type of job they were interested in. Their choices were very traditional. Close to 90% of males chose mechanics, electrician, blue-collar work and PC operator, while most of the girls chose hairdressing, beauty expert and secretarial work.

Since all of them, with only one exception, have the diploma of compulsory education they are not attending the School to get this diploma. They have declared that they are not inter-ested in the European dimension of the project and most of them are not willing to travel abroad to get additional experience or to learn a foreign language.

I. Finance:

Financing of the SCS initiative is distributed as follows: • The Ministry of Public Education provides funding for a total amount of Lit. 1.200.000.000

per year (Euro 620.000 approx.). The funds are entirely national and come from law 440/97 whose main objective is to finance projects aimed at increasing education oppor-tunities for adults in Italy. The funds go to the Petrarca Middle School, responsible for the SCS project. From the legal point of view, the SCS of Catania is an initiative of the Pet-rarca School.

• The Regional Education Office provides the teachers for basic education. • The remaining funds were supposed to be provided by the city mostly in the form of train-

ing for trainers (never done), school transportation, publicity, organization of a launching event (never done), and the provision of a psychologist and a social worker (never done).


38


The School is easily accessible by public transport. All kinds of modern infrastructure are available: computers, video, internet, etc. There is a restaurant for teachers and students.

G. Human resources:

TAS SCS employs 56 teachers and 20 social-pedagogues.


Most of the participants failed in the normal school system. They take the opportunity af-forded by a second chance to achieve a secondary school certificate. Most of the students lack key competencies and social competencies.

I. Finance:

The total annual budget is 4,100,000 DM, of which the Federal State (Land North-Rhine Westphalia) pays 60% of the costs, the City of Cologne 30% and the Employment Agency 10%.


39

Schule der zweiten Chance Tageskolleg der VHS Köln

Köln (Germany)

Contact: SCS Address: Genovevastr. 64-66, 51063 Köln SCS Director Phone Fax e-mail Mr. Detlef Heints. (+49221) 67 19 30 (+49221) 6719320 [email protected]


Teachers: 25 Students 2000 Age of students Exits 1999 School surface Social-pedag.: 16 276 (181 boys, 95 girls) 16-24 235 2.900 m²


Duration of school: 12-78 weeks

Annual budget: 2.812.105 €

Average hours per week: 37hours Budget per student: 10.188 €


36 %


Municipality (45 %) State (15 %)

EU ESF (15%) Employment agency

(25%)


See Cologne Tages- und Abendschule

B. Legal status:

Tageskolleg SCS is a part (day time college) of the Volkshochschule (Adult Education Col-lege) Cologne.

C. Location:

Tageskolleg is offering courses in two locations, in the districts Nippes and Mühlheim. The latter has a high concentration of foreign (mostly Turkish) people. In the district of Nippes the situation is not that bad, but it is still one of the deprived areas in Cologne.

D. Dimension:

Strictly speaking, the Tageskolleg SCS offers 12 fulltime daytime courses leading to a school certificate and to integration in the the world of work. Next to these courses, the Tageskolleg organizes follow-up courses, an Internet café and a project for language teaching to different partners in Cologne.


The Tageskolleg SCS is recognized by the state. Its continuity is safeguarded, although regular innovation and adaptation is necessary.

Vocation-

related knowledge

50%

Basic knowledge

30%

Life skills5%

Computer knowledge

5%

Foreign languages

10%


40


Tageskolleg Nippes is located in the newly built district town hall. The location of Mühlheim will be renovated until May 2001. Both locations are equipped with workshops and computer rooms. Tageskolleg has a restaurant. Each course group has its own sitting room and an office for the teachers and social-pedagogues.

G. Human resources:

Next to the 25 teachers and the 16 social-pedagogues, Tageskolleg SCS employs two so-cial-pedagogues in the Internet Café for individual help and advice.


All students are beyond age of compulsory school, but have left school without a certificate. Most of them have attitude problems and personal difficulties or a lack of life orientation.

I. Finance:

The total annual budget is 5,500,000 DM. The City of Cologne contributes 45 %, the Federal State North-Rhine Westphalia 15 %, the European Social Fund 15 % and the Employment Agency 25 %.


41

Schule der zweiten Chance Halle

(Germany)

Contact: SCS Address: Franckeplatz 1, Haus 33 D - 06110 Halle SCS Director/Projectco-ordinator Phone Fax e-mail Leonhard Dölle +49 345 225 17 0 +49 345 225 17 15 [email protected]


Teachers Students 2000 Age of students Exits 1999 School surface 7 24 (24 boys, no girls) 15-19 15 400 m²





50 % +


State (70 %) Municipality (20%)

Other (10%)


Halle, a town of about 250,000 inhabitants in Eastern Germany, has important concentra-tions of heavy industry, particularly machinery, railway components, chemical and electronics industry, etc. In the 1997 statistics, 19,50 % of the working population was unemployed, of which 3,739 were in the age range 20-25 and 782 younger than 20. School dropout rates have been climbing over the last years. It is estimated that 100 pupils drop out every year, mainly because they fail to see the usefulness of education in a situation of rising unem-ployment. Many of those youngsters are living in negative social and family environments (alcohol, drugs addiction, debts, divorce, etc.)

B. Legal status:

The STEP-Project (School/Training European Project) is part of the Franckesche Stiftungen (Francke Foundation), founded in 1695 by the Theologian August Hermann Francke to serve as social institutions (orphanage, educational establishment, Latin school, charity school, etc)

C. Location:

The STEP-Project "Bauhof" is located in the centre of the city of Halle, in the middle of other large buildings belonging to the Franckesche Stiftung.

D. Dimension:

24 youngsters


The Project S.T.E.P. started in September 1997. In fact, the pilot period is now over, but the City of Halle, in cooperation with the Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt, intends to continue this project. The duration of a course is 46 weeks, but the average stay of youngsters in the pro-ject is 12-18 months (60% of the youngsters).

Computer

knowledge

5%

Life

skillsVocation-related

knowledge

50%

Basic

knowledge

Other

15%


42


The workshops wood and painting are well established with modern instruments and tools. The students have at their disposal 13 computers, video, T.V. and Internet.

G. Human resources:

In fulltime equivalent 4 teachers are working in the STEP project.


All youngsters live in bad conditions: no one has left secondary school with a diploma or cer-tificate and 10 of the 24 have serious health problems. The average age of the students is 17.

I. Finance:

The annual budget is 160.000 Euro. 70% is financed by the Ministry of Social Affairs in the Federal State Saxony-Anhalt, 20% by the City of Halle, 5% own funds and 5 % sponsorship.


43

Second Chance School Hämeenlinna

(Finland)

Contact: SCS Address: Hattelmalantie 25 FIN 13100 HÄMEENLINNA SCS Director: Phone Fax e-mail Marjaleena Hulkko (+385) 7141765 (+385) 36147555 [email protected]

School data: SCS Start October 1997

Teachers Students 2000 Age of students Exits 1999 School surface 22 in the core

117 in the network 184 (116 boys, 68 girls) 15-25 years 85 School operates in six

locations in the City


Duration of school:


44


Since the Hämeenlinna SCS is a hub-web organization, which enables flexible in-take, stud-ies in different programmes and individual curricula and goal-settings, the duration may vary from a couple of months up to 2 years.


The hub of the network is the Hämeenlinna Vocational Adult Education Centre, a municipal institution providing training and education for adult persons. The Centre is one of 47 centres covering the whole country. The training centres’ offer includes employment training (target group unemployed / job seekers, mainly); self-motivated training (target group mainly em-ployed persons up-grading their skills and knowledge); apprenticeship training; in-service-training for companies and miscellaneous services. The Centre is authorized to arrange ex-ams and demonstration tests leading to national vocational qualification (competence-based) and to organize training preparing trainees to participate in the tests. Some of the partners of the network are part of the national educational system, such as the Hämeenlinna Vocational Institute (vocational upper secondary education).

G. Human resources:

The human resources of the network are available to the Hämeenlinna SCS. The number of vocational teachers and trainers involved with the target group varies according to the train-ing programme. But all in all, a pool of 20 teachers and 2 counsellors at the main site and 110 teachers and 7 counsellors in the network are available.


The Finnish legislation on person registers and protection of privacy is very strict and, there-fore, just a few main characteristics about the students may be presented. Most of the stu-dents have not completed any vocational qualifications, very few have not completed their compulsory education, very few are immigrants. In some parts of the network, like the Kar-paasi Group which deals with the very difficult youngsters, the social background is serious: most come from fragile families, have severe self-inflicted health problems due to drugs and substance abuse and are living under fragile psychological conditions. The reasons driving youth into exclusion often stem from the economy and lack of vacancies, the fact that the youths ‘choose wrongly’ after the compulsory education and therefore drop off from the voca-tional studies they have already started and the firm social net Finnish society provides.

I. Finance:

In Finland, the Government and the municipalities finance the initial and further education and training in most cases. Since the grounds, on which the Second Chance School has been founded, already were there and thus the School is not a new entity established for this purpose only, the financing of the training 'comes along with the trainees'. For the education and training, there are basically six types of sources: • For the employment training / training of unemployed people and job seekers, the money

comes from the employment authority • For self-motivated training, the budget allocation through the provincial governments/

office of education, and actually from the Ministry of Education • For apprenticeship training, from the Ministry of Education • For formal education within the secondary level vocational education, through the nu-

merical control system steering this type of education delivery • Projects like the Youth Workshop, the European Social Fund • Projects like the Karpaasi Group (youth work), Finnish Slot Machine Association For the management and running cost of the SCS, the City of Hämeenlinna and the Ministry of Education have both committed themselves to a three-year allocation.


45

Second Chance School Heerlen

(Netherlands)

Contact: SCS Address: SCS Director: Phone Fax e-mail Mr. John Vrolings 0031(0)45-5605555 0031(0)45-5605560 [email protected]

School data: SCS Start April 1999

Teachers Students 2000 Age of students Exits 1999 School sur face 5 24 (22 boys, 2 girls) 16-24 years 2 700 m²


Duration of school: 32 weeks Annual budget: 233.400 Euro

Average hours per week: 24 hours Budget per student: 9.725 Euro


50 %


Municipality (50 %)

State (20%) EU ESF (20%)


Close to the Belgian and German borders, the City of Heerlen, in close cooperation with the other 7 municipalities in the South-East of the Province Limburg (now called Parkstad Lim-burg) has been selected to develop the first Second Chance School in the Netherlands. Parkstad Limburg was a mining area up till the seventies and is now an Objective 2 zone. In the last five years unemployment rates have fallen very quickly. Nevertheless, a hard core of unemployed older people and many youngsters with plural difficulties (drug addicts, sexually abused, homeless, psycho-social problems) still exists. The Second Chance School Heerlen/ Parkstad Limburg is the result of cooperation between the professional training centre ARCUS College and MAECON Ltd.. ARCUS College is de-pendent on the National Ministry of Education. MAECON Ltd. is a privatised institute (by the 8 municipalities), specialized in orientation, counselling and placement of unemployed people on the employment market.

B. Legal status:

The cooperation between the two institutions ARCUS College and MAECON Ltd. is legally housed at ARCUS College. The teachers and tutors are seconded by the two partner organizations.

C. Location:

For the time being the project is conducted at the locations of CBB, a centre for vocational training (that partly belongs to ARCUS College). In 2001 the Second Chance School will move to a more permanent location of its own.

D. Dimension:

The first year (1999) has been used for the development of the concept and of the curricu-lum. A profound evaluation taken in July 2000 has lead to firm progress in the project. For

Other35%

Life skills25%

Foreign languages

5%

Computer knowledge

20%


5%

Basic knowledge 10%


46

the near future, the Second Chance School project will fit in very well with the national com-mon policy of the so-called strict, close tackling of young marginalized young people and bring them back into an educational setting or a job.


60 % of the students stay up to 12 months in the Second Chance School before they can start a professional diploma-oriented training or get a contract in an enterprise.


As mentioned above, the Second Chance School is housed in a vocational training centre with all kind of facilities: instruments and tools for training in wood, metal, cleaning, kitchen/ restaurant, gardening. Students have access to 8 computers, TV, video, Internet.

G. Human resources:

5 fulltime equivalent workers are seconded by ARCUS College or MAECON Ltd.: 2,7 fte teachers and 2,3 fte advisers/counsellors/tutors


Second Chance School Heerlen/ Parkstad has choosen to focus on extremely marginalized youngsters: lack of motivation, no diploma at all, drug addicts, sexually abused young women, homeless, etc. This has been made because this target group is not envisaged by all the other initiatives in the region. The age of the students: under 23 years.

I. Finance:

The budget for 2000 was fixed at 233.400 Euro. 50 % is financed by the 8 municipalities forming Parkstad Limburg, 20 % by the Province of Limburg, 20% by the European Social Fund and 10 % by the partner organizations ARCUS College and MAECON Ltd.


47

Second Chance School East Leeds Family Learning Centre

Leeds (England – Great Britain)

Contact: SCS Address: Brooklands View, Leeds LS146SA SCS Head: Phone Fax e-mail Mr Chris Peat (+44113) 2243138 +(44113) 2243172 [email protected]

School data: SCS Start March 1998




Average hours per week:

15-30 hours

Budget per student: 8.010 €


10 %


EU -ESF (45 %) Municipality (43 %)


Leeds, a city in the North of Europe, is presently benefiting from the upturn of the British economy. However, the effects are not equally distributed and certain areas are experiencing considerable social and economic difficulties. Numerous families are on low or unstable in-comes and are in council accommodation. In this population more than 40 % women are inactive, and 34 % of people are experiencing long term illness. More than a quarter of the children belongs to single parent families and account for almost 10 % of the population. There is high level of neighbourhood delinquency and young people don't believe they are living in a 'successful' city. The City of Leeds has 800,000 and the target area of East Leeds has 20,000 households. Unemployment among people experiencing major economic problems, for the 16 to 60 age range, in some areas is over 25% while the city average is only 4%.

B. Legal status:

The date for setting up the Leeds SCS was 5 March 1998 and its headquarters are situated in the East Leeds Family Learning Centre. The person in charge for the political questions is Mr Paul Forbes at the Leeds City Council / Training Department. The responsibility of run-ning the project lies with Mr Chris Peat. The Leeds SCS has the Further Education College 'Thomas Danby' as a connected partner. The Leeds College of Art and Design and the Leeds College of Technology also supply tutors to the Second School. Thomas Dunby is a generic college, with specialist areas in catering and care. LCAD is a Specialist College with national reputation in the world of art and design.

C. Location:

The Second Chance School is situated at the East Leeds Family Learning Centre, which has been created through changing the function of what was formerly a high school for 1,500 students. It is itself an innovative project; over 2,000 learners from some of the most disad-vantaged communities attend a wide range of programmes at the Centre. This varies from a full-time training programme to attendance at a two-hour information technology course. Second Chance School students have access to all the education provision at the site, once they themselves have acquired the necessary basis and key skills to be able to get the most benefit from the training and education that is on offer.

Life skills

26%

Foreign

languages

4%

Computer

knowledge

31%

Basic knowledge

27%

Vocation-

related

knowledge7%

Other

5%


48

D. Dimension:

Class activity started in March 1998 with 5 students. The number progressively grew up to 50 in 1999 and is expected to reach 100 by December 2000.


The overall duration of the programme is 1 year.


The SCS of Leeds is located in East Leeds Family Learning Centre and comprises of 1 inter-view room; 1 workshop/classroom; 1 multi-media suite; pc's and multi-media pc's in the multi-media room. All pc's have access to the Internet.

G. Human resources:

2 managers, 1 full-time student support worker; 4 part-time tutors, 1 part-time administrator.


Students entering the SCS are between 16 and 24 years old, the majority of them being be-tween 18 and 20. Ethnic minorities are Asian and Afro-Caribbean (2 % each). Educational level: compulsory education completed – 61 %, not completed – 39 %. Family situation: the majority (53 %) living independently, 20 % in two-parent households and 23 % in single-parent households. Social level: Working class coming from semi-skilled/unskilled, many are 2nd generation un-employed. Types of problems: Homelessness, suicide, broken homes resulting in extended families - stepparents and brothers/sisters. Abuse as children -physical/emotional/sexual. Drug abuse and alcohol abuse. Lost parents through illness and early death - cancer/heart disease as result of poverty, poor diet etc. Many live independently because of broken-down relationship with parents and stepparents - need support emotionally and financially.

I. Finance:

The primary source to funding for the Schools is European Social Fund Objective 3. For the last two years a funding application has been approved by the Yorkshire and Humberside Government Office who administer the European Social Funds in this region on behalf of the Government. This funding is matched primarily by the City Council who contributes staff time; the building and other costs, and other partners to also make a contribution. The Second Chance School is however now included in the City Council's budget.


49

Ecole le la Deuxième Chance Marseille

(Region Provence–Alpes–Côte d’Azur France)

Contact: SCS Address: 82, avenue de la Croix Rouge, 13013 Marseille SCS Director: Phone Fax e-mail Mr. Robert Garzunel (+334) 96130000 (+334) 96130001 [email protected]


Teachers Students 2000 Age of students Exits 1999 School surface 21 220 (120 boys, 100 girls) 16-25 years 88 entered in1998 of which

42 employed in 1999 1 500 m²


Duration of school: 24 month Annual budget: 2.000.000 €



33 %


Municipality (55%) Region/department

(40%) EU ESF (5%)


In July 1996 the City of Marseilles counted 72,000 unemployed people, of which 14,400 youths are in the age group 16-25 (20%). Moreover, one third of all youths do not have any diploma or certificate. In some districts of Marseilles, unemployment has reached 33% in the 15th arrondissement and 50% in the 16th arrondissement. Young people in these "difficult districts" are rapidly fall into a situation of social exclusion. The difficulties are of a plural nature: multicultural problems, split families, growing up in a single parent situation, unemployment, etc. The Marseilles Second Chance School was set up in 1996 at the instigation of the European Commission. Key words: Accompaniment, autonomy, rights and obligations, training by the job, training-on-the-job, alternation, individualization and an overall comprehensive methodology.

B. Legal status:

Association after the French Law 1901. The fouding members are: the City of Marseilles, the Region Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur, the County (Département) Bouches du Rhône, the Community of Municipalities Marseille Provence Métropole and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

C. Location:

For the time being: Bégude. The Second Chance School will move early 2001 to the locality of Saint-Louis.

Basic knowledge

60%Foreign

languages5%

Vocation-related

knowledge25%

Computer knowledge

10%


50

D. Dimension:

The Bégude building: 1500 m² Saint-Louis: 9000 m², with a gymnasium, a sports ground, accommodation, a theatre, multi-media rooms.


The Second Chance School officially started in November 1997. The average stay in the school is 24 months (80% of the students).


See D

G. Human resources:

The teachers (21) have a double role: they are at the same time the individual tutors of the students. Parallel to the pedagogical team, the "enterprise team" is working on contacting enterprises and organizing the accompaniment of the youths in the world of work.


A large majority of the students have a so-called migrant background, although most of them have the French nationality (Algerian parents). All have left school without a recognized di-ploma or certificate, some of them have language problems.

I. Finance:

The Second Chance School Marseilles is financed by:

The City of Marseilles: 40 % The Region Provence Alpes … 28 % The County Bouches du Rhone 12 % The Community of Municipalities … 15 % The European Social Fund 5 %

Second Chance Sc hools – School Profile –

51

Second Chance School Marielunds gymnasiet

Norrköping (Sweden)

Contact: SCS Address: Stockholmsvägen 35, 60217 Norrköping SCS Head Master Phone Fax e-mail Mr Rolf Kalamark (+4611) 153393 (+4611) 186022 [email protected]

School data: SCS Start: January 1999

Teachers Students 2000 Age of students Exits 1999 School surface 9 32 (23 boys, 9 girls) 16 + 8 400 m²


Duration of school: 10-18 months

Annual budget:

6 million € for the whole school (500

students / 32 in the SCS are part of that)



60 %


Municipality (100 %)

General situation:

The city of Norrköping has a population of 124,000 inhabitants. The old industrial structures, characterized by mechanical industries mainly within the textile sector, disappeared com-pletely during the seventies. This represented a severe blow to a town which depended on textiles for 80% of its industrial capacity. The changes in the economic foundations have had a negative effect on the labour market. They have caused imbalance in urban growth, further aggravated by the influx of immigrants, particularly refugees who have fled the civil war in the former Yugoslavia. This has increased the non-native population of the town by 3 % up to 20 % of the total population over a period of 12 months in 1994. The city is experiencing rising rates in youth unemployment, school dropouts, juvenile delin-quency and drugs abuse. From an almost non-existent unemployment at the beginning of the decade, statistics show today that the city as a whole has a rate of unemployment of 10 % in 1998 (9 % in 1999). The figures for young people (20-24 age) are almost double (18, 6 % in May 1998 against 14 % in October 1999). One aspect which has contributed to the social exclusion of these young persons is the reluctance of employers to recruit people without formal education or with a different ethnic background coming from the deprived areas.

Educational level of the population Norrköping Sweden

Compulsory school 30 % 28 % Upper secondary school 48 % 46 % Higher education 20 % 24 %

A. Legal status:

In Sweden, the legislation is passed by the Parliament, which also decides on Government appropriations to the education. The Government issues the ordinances as well as general guidelines applying to various types of education and decides on the distribution of Govern-ment funds. For the school system, the Government also lays down the curricula and syllabi. Practically all public education in Sweden below university level is operated by local authori-

Computer knowledge

4%

Foreign languages5%

Life skills12%

Basic knowledge 16%


63%

Second Chance Sc hools – School Profile –

52

ties. The local authorities (the municipalities) are bound by law and regulations to provide a number of basic services. In addition, every school has to draw up a work plan based on the curriculum and local priorities. The organization of administration within a municipality, such as the inclusion of one or more schools in a headmaster's school management district or the allocation of responsibilities and financing, varies from one municipality to another.

B. Location:

The Marielundsgymnasiet is located in an old building in a deprived area in Norrköping, within a walking distance from the City centre.

C. Dimension:

The School was opened in January 1999 and 30 students have been given the opportunity to take part in the SCS project during 1999.

D. Duration and stage of implementation:

30 students were admitted to the SCS in January 1999. The estimated duration for most of the students is 10 to 18 months.

E. Infrastructure, facilities:

Marielundsgymnasiet is easy to reach by bus or tram. The school is an old building with all modem facilities including restaurant with free lunch for the students.

F. Human resources:

The human resources of Marielundsgymnasiet are available for the Norrköping SCS. The number of the staff directly involved with the target group of the SCS students during the year has been: 12 teachers, 6 career counsellors and 7 social workers. About 25 companies with mentors and trainers has taken an active part in the project.

G. Characteristics of the students:

The overwhelming majority (87 %) of students in the SCS are between 16 and 19 years old, 70 % are boys and 30 % girls. Ethnic minorities constitute 43 % of the students, the major parts being Romany (24 %), Bosnian (13 %) and Chilean (7 %). Educational level: compulsory education completed – 13 %, not completed – 87 %. 100 % have no vocational qualifications. Family situation: 60 % living in two-parent households and 37 % in single-parent households, the remaining 3 % in institutions or with relatives.

Major problems: - Lack of basic skills - Social problems - Severe learning problems - Lack of self-confidence - Major personal difficulties, physical and/or psychological problems.

H. Finance:

In Sweden, general government grants and the municipalities finance the initial and further education and training. Following this pattern, the students of the Second Chance School are included in the Swedish school financial system. Some of the money comes from the Euro-pean Social Fund Objective 3, and is allocated to the in-company mentors, which form an essential part of the School's methodology and the introduction to the world of work.


53

Second Chance School Seixal

(Portugal)

Contact: SCS Address: Edifício Monte Sião- Torre da Marinha 2840- 443 Seixal SCS Director Phone Fax e-mail MRS Mariana Mareco +351-1-212276240 +351-1-212226248 [email protected]

School data: SCS Start: 29 November 1999

Teachers Students 2000 Age of students Exits 1999 School sur face 9 39 (17 boys, 22 girls) 16-25 years 5 300 m²





50 %


Municipality (25%) EU (75 %)


Seixal, located on the Setubal Peninsula, has 150,000 inhabitants and forms with 8 other municipalities the South-Lisbon Metropolitan Area. Economically South-Lisbon Metropolitan Area is superior to the rest of Portugal. But the rate of unemployment is also above the national average (about 17,5 %, 52 % of them are long term unemployed, 1998). A major part of the unemployed only have 4 to 6 years of educa-tion. They are young and in many cases out of the education system. In this context, the Second Chance School aims to achieve the social and professional inte-gration of young people between 16 and 25 years.

B. Legal status:

Recently a Municipality enterprise was created: 51 % of the shares are owned by the City of Seixal, 49 % is owned by enterprises

C. Location:

The same as referred above.

D. Dimension:

The Second Chance School has 39 students (three groups of 13 students).


Three periods of 28 weeks each. Beginning November 1999; Ending December 2001.

Foreign languages10%

Life skills

10%

Vocation-related

knowledge10%

Basic knowledge 50%

knowledge


54


3 classrooms, 1 IT room (13 computers); 1 auditorium (50 seats); 2 televisions; 2 videotapes; 2 tape recorders; 1 restroom; 1 bar, telephone and fax.

G. Human resources:

1 director, 4 teachers, five technical trainers

H. Characteristics of the students

A large majority of the students come from fragile family backgrounds; more than 50% have severe self-inflicted health problems, like drug and substance abuse, bad eating habits, bad dental care, bad hygiene.

I. Finance:

First stage 75% EU and 25% Seixal municipality Second stage 100% Seixal municipality


55

Second Chance School Produktionshøjskolen i Svendborg

Svendborg (Denmark)

Contact: SCS Address: Hellegårdsvej 63, 57000 Svendborg SCS Director: Phone Fax e-mail Mr Kjeld Rommerdahl (+45) 6222 4110 (+45) 6222 8114 [email protected]

School data: SCS Start October 1999



Duration of school: <3 months, 30 % 3-12 months, 60%>12 months 10%

Annual budget: 4.484.345 €

Average hours per week: 30 hours Budget per student: Appr 9.500 €


80 %

Main financing source: State (86,2 %)


The city of Svendborg is situated on the isle of Funen, south of the capital Copenhagen. The city has a population of 43, 000 inhabitants. Youth unemployment is 5.5%. Svendborg is in-dustrialized and has direct access to the sea. Svendborg has no schools of higher education. There are, however, several schools for vo-cational education or training and special training providers, like sea training schools, marine engineering schools, and navigation schools.

B. Legal status:

Produktionshøjskolen in Svendborg was appointed as the Danish pilot school within the Sec-ond Chance School Initiative on the 27th October, 1999 by the Danish Ministry of Education. Consequently, the school is only now implementing the various fields of efforts covered by the programme. The Second Chance School in Svendborg is due to this Ministry approval identical with Produktionshøjskolen in Svendborg, the biggest of the 108 Danish Production Schools. The school was established in 1984.

C. Location:

Produktionshøjskolen in Svendborg has two locations in the city of Svendborg: Iglemosegården and MedieFronten.

D. Dimension:

At present, 237 students (134 boys, 103 girls) are learning at the Svendborg Second Chance School.

Life skills35%

Foreign languages

2%Computer

knowledge12%

Vocation-related

knowledge35%

Basic knowledge

15%


56


The Danish production schools exercise a principle of free entry – free exit. 30 per cent of the students stay at the school for less than 3 months, 60 per cent from 3 to 12 months and some 10 per cent more than 12 months.


Iglemosegården occupies 9 workshops, including the production workshops: Office, Food/Kitchen, Metal, Textile, and Carpenter/Joiner - and the pedagogic workshops: Theatre, Music, Nature/Outdoor Work, and Kindergarten Training.

MedieFronten is located directly next to the sea, close to the city centre and it has the follow-ing workshops: Video/Photo, Multimedia, Radio/Journalist, Graphic Design, Technology (Computer Upkeep), and Kitchen/Culture.

G. Human resources:

u Tj 6 0 TD -0.0921 Tc -(lors)) Tj 2755 0 TD 0 Tc -0.1275 Tw ( ) Tj -142075 -14.75 TD /

H phanracer ntrics f the tudents

non Tj 18 0 TD -.0038 Tc 0- -

-i


BBJ BiPeG mbH 57

CHAPTER 4: PARTNERSHIPS

INTRODUCTION

In its declaration on Combating Exclusion through Education and Training, the Com-mission announced an anti-exclusion project. Judging as unjust the situation wherein several hundred thousand young people living in the European Union, most of them in large metropolitan conurbation, are totally without access to training schemes or employment, the Commission started calling for committed partnerships.

Dialogue and partnership at a local level - between the various economic players, voluntary and community associations and public authorities – were expected to play a part in halting this development. For this to happen, these parties had to accept the need to work together and pool all the human and material resources at their com-mand. Company sponsoring of schools, recruitment agreements between schools and employers, and the development of advanced educational technologies were just some of the ways in which excluded youth would be able to obtain better access to know-how and a satisfactory level of qualification within an appropriate teaching envi-ronment.

The Commission proposed to catalyse energies in this field in order to get a number of projects up and running swiftly, and to make sure they receive the attention and appreciation which they merit, in particular by encouraging the exchange of good practices and by mobilizing the various players concerned within the European Un-ion.

At the Launching Conference of the Second Chance Schools (June 1997), one of the sessions was entitled ‘Bringing together the employers and the young people’. Al-ready then, the Commission started to form a ‘Second Chance Schools’ Family’, one which would be brought together now and than to share their experiences and best practices, and to learn in a dynamic context. For this purpose, the following discus-sion points were brought before the Conference audience:

• How to reach and activate young people and enterprises for the course of the Second Chance Schools?

• What is the exact role of social and neighbourhood services in creating awareness of and interest in the scheme?

• How to identify the course participants from amongst the broader group of young excluded people lacking basic skills and qualifications?

• Which criteria can be used for the identification of these course participants and what is the role of enterprises in the selection process?

• How exactly does the matching of individual course participants to avail-able job-profiles operate in practice?


BBJ BiPeG mbH 58

• How to ensure true commitment of employers to that matching process: which conditions need to be satisfied for enterprises to ‘earmark’ jobs for the course participants?

• What form of agreement is to be reached with the enterprises?

• How to let enterprises see the advantages of the Second Chance School scheme?

These were some of the issues concerned with partnership that were to direct the Schools in conceptualizing the local models. They were also points that were often discussed in the meetings, seminars and conferences organized for the Schools by the Commission, and especially in the seminar entitled Second Chance Schools and their relations with enterprises, organized by the City of Seixal in December 1998. The seminar panels touched upon collaboration with SMEs, large undertakings and the public sector, and furthermore, company involvement in the choice of syllabuses, methodologies and student recruitment.

In assigning the evaluation and thematic monitoring of the Second Chance Schools pilot projects, the European Commission divided the task into five lots, three of them making a specific contribution towards the conceptual development of the Schools. One of them, the ‘lot 2’, dealt with the ‘Partnership’, a field the Commission defined in the following way:

Local partnership, with the focus on businesses (extent and nature of commitment, types of businesses and training courses/ jobs available, type of agreement con-cluded with businesses etc.).

One of the overriding principles of the Commission’s concept, but also a necessity for the Second Chance Schools, is to put into place and to develop a long lasting part-nership with all players concerned with the struggle against youth exclusion. These are the local authorities, social services and associations, NGOs, enterprises and businesses.

The main objective of the partnership is to improve the effectiveness of the under-taken activities. It allows

• The participation of new players in projects and activities

• The strengthening of the concept of Second Chance Schools

• The sharing and development of existing resources and competencies

• The inclusion of the project into their local community

It must be understood that the partnership is a process that relies on a diversity of players and decision makers, persons coming from different sectors who are unified in the goal to be achieved and pursue the objective of reaching a common agree-ment.


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A partnership is constructed on competencies and roles that can contribute to the project:

• The contribution in the reflection on the social and professional inclusion of the youths

• The local support of the project

• The use of existing institutional networks

• The use of multiple skills or abilities

Consequently the partnership will be constructed on

• A shared knowledge of the problem

• An acceptance by all the partners of the final aim (‘we will all work to-wards’). It is the confirmation of this principle which identifies and facilitates the values of the group to be united.

• The objective or objectives ‘of what we are trying to do’, which define the expected results and will determine the actions enlisted to produce a com-mon strategy.

This complex process is based on principles, precise and accepted by all. It is put into operation with some support systems and a clearly defined action plan, one which must produce results and provide an added value to the project.

In this way, each project, in its context and its social, socio-economic and cultural environment, will produce and construct its own partnership in order to become as effective as possible.

Starting from the unique concept of Second Chance Schools and the diversity it sets off, the objective of the evaluation is to make the different partnerships clear and comprehensive, to enhance the value of its innovative aspects and to indicate ele-ments of good practice.

PARTNERSHIPS

Building a partnership of diverse local players was one of the main pillars the Second Chance School pilot projects were built on. The European Commission, in accor-dance with the respective Ministries of Education, selected the pilots in cities or re-gions where such a close partnership could be guaranteed. The following table indi-cates the extent and the frequency of the partnerships among different types of part-ner organizations.


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Table 4.1: Partnership

Frequency of structured interaction of the organiza-

tions in the partnership

Strong pres-ence in part-

nership

Weaker presence in partnership

More than

twice a month

Once per 1-3 months

Once per 3-6 months

Less fre-quent or on

ad hoc basis

Type of the partner organi-zation

Local authorities 13 2 4 4 3 Associations, NGO's 2 11 2 11 Enterprises 10 3 2 2 9 Parents 11 2 1 12 Health sector 13 13 National education system 13 2 3 8

(Figures in the table indicate the number of schools, 13 in total)

LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL AUTHORITIES

As to the political backing and the financial support by the local (and sometimes re-gional) authorities, the findings of the evaluation are obvious: the local authorities play a central role. For many of the Second Chance Schools the contribution of local and regional authorities represents up to 40% of all funds (like Tageskolleg in Co-logne, Marseilles, Bilbao, Norrköping, Heerlen). In Marseilles the city, the county and the regional council provide more than 75% of the budget necessary for the school’s functioning. Differences can be observed. The towns of Catania and Svendborg bring in a moderate financial contribution (less than 5 %), but for these schools the state contribution is massive 1.

The involvement of local authorities constitutes an important evolution, particularly in the southern countries of Europe, where they traditionally do not have major respon-sibility in the field of education. This is the way communities want to attest their politi-cal will to fight the social exclusion of youth and to tackle the weakening of the social systems. It is obvious that the involvement implies a transfer of competencies from the state to the local communities. In this context it is worth mentioning the ‘Pactes de confiance’ (Trust Pact) which after the Amsterdam and Luxembourg Summits em-phasized the importance of actions taken by local authorities.

The portion of Community funding is extremely variable, but may reach up to 20 to 30 per cent of the running costs of some Schools. Mostly the Schools located in the ‘Ob-jective 1’ and ‘Objective 2’ regions received substantial financial help from the Euro-pean Funds, the European Social Funds and the European Regional Development fund. These are Schools in the South, like Bilbao, Seixal, and Athens but also Heer-len and Leeds may financially benefit from their status. The significant fund amounts provided to these schools by the Community witnesses the importance of European

1 The disparities in municipal versus state financing can be largely explained through the linkages of the Second Chance School to the national educational structure and the funding mechanism of educ a-tion in the respective country.


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financial support. European financial help comes in the first instance from the Social Fund and sometimes from the Regional Fund (for equipment and buildings). It proved to be essential for starting-up the projects and for constructing premises in Mar-seilles, Seixal and Bilbao.

European educational programmes such as Connect, Leonardo da Vinci, Socrates, Youth made it possible to realize staff and student exchanges between the Schools.

Financial contributions to the schools are mostly allocated on an annual basis. This system, when looking at the duration of the youths’ training (2 years on average), the number of students enrolled and the number of contracted teachers, results in a frag-ile situation. The situation varies greatly between the Schools created to implement solely the Second Chance School concept (‘new creations’) and the Schools which already existed (re-organization of activities, network model or re-labelling of provi-sion). For the latter, basic financing and functioning are already ensured as they are often integrated into the national school system. Supplementary financing made it possible to reinforce and to improve the teaching conditions (customization) and to develop a local network of partners.

Survival of the Schools created for this special purpose depends on the agreements between the various financing institutions. It is clear that these agreements should not be renegotiated every year.

Contrary to the local, regional and national authorities, enterprises did not realize the benefit to be gained from financial participation in the education of disadvantaged youths.

Table 4.2: Financing of the Second Chance Schools

Hämeenlinna: Please see in Chapter 4 in the profile ‘Hämeenlinna’ under the point I ‘Financing’

30%

60%

10%

45%

15%

15%

25%

1%

86%

13%

55%

28%

5%

12%

50%

50%

5%

95%

0%

43%

10%

2%

45%

35%

65%

25%

75%

100%

50%

20%

20%

10%

20%

70%

5%

5%

100%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Cologn

e TAS

Cologn

e VHS

Svend

borg

Marseill

esBil

bao

Catania

Leed

s

Athens

Seixal

Heerle

nHalle

Barcelo

na

Other

EU

Private

State

Municipality


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Table 4.3: Budget per Student

3.717 €

10.189 €

9.500 €

9.091 €

4.745 €

5.000 €

11.477 €

8.010 €

5.235 €

11.026 €

4.000 €

9.725 €

6.667 €

6.352 €

0 €

2.000 €

4.000 €

6.000 €

8.000 €

10.000 €

12.000 €

Cologn

e TAS

Cologn

e VHS

Svend

borg

Marse

illes

Bilbao

Catania

Leed

s

Athens

Seixal

Heerle

nHall

e

Barce

lona

ENTERPRISES

At the beginning of the pilot period (1997), enterprises (or better, employers) were seen as close partners for the Second Chance Schools. They were needed for the occupational integration of the youths, to smoothen the transition form education to work. The main idea was that the employers should have a direct influence on the curriculum design of the professional training: what kind of knowledge, which skills, and what kind of social competencies were needed?

In the majority of cases the relations between the Schools and the enterprises are formalized by protocols or conventions. The placement of the youths is organized from case to case according to their individual interests and aspirations.

Many of the Schools have good contacts with large enterprises. However, placement and employment are usually looked for in small companies, in micro firms and with craftsmen. It seems rather difficult to find placement in larger companies. The schools have noticed that some partnerships are offering less and less job perspec-tives. Job-hunting happens case by case and craftsmen, for instance, can only take on a few students. For this reason, some of the Schools have created a special unit for job hunting, combined with the follow-up and monitoring of the youths while they are engaged in the enterprises. This is for instance the case in Catania where two psychologists are active in this unit. In Marseilles, the ‘Pôle entreprise’ involves eight persons and is a kind of interface between the companies and the School.

Relations and forms of collaboration between the Schools and the companies change rapidly. Categorizing the way Second Chance Schools have organized their relations with the enterprises gives the following typology:

• Tripartite conventions Marseilles, Norrköping, Catania, Athens


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• Leading partners in the Second Chance Schools MAECON Ltd. (Heerlen) and Lan Ekintza (Bilbao) are responsible in their respective Schools for the relations with the world of work and all kinds of placements (job training in enterprises, subsidised jobs, jobs under contract, etc.)

• Contracts with big enterprises Leeds has constituted a major flagship project

• Looser, ad hoc co-operation, networking in the region Cologne, Hämeenlinna

PROFESSIONAL INTEGRATION

It is too early to draw conclusions about the students' professional integration, as many of them have not yet completed their curriculum in the Second Chance School. One available example however is the Bilbao School where 75% of the youngsters who completed the Second Chance School have found a job.

An attempt to compile data on the Schools as to occupation after school exit in 1999 showed that the statements provided by the Schools are to a larger part incomplete and in any case cannot be compared due to their differing structures.

EMPLOYMENT AFTER SECOND CHANCE SCHOOL

Generally speaking, the youths occupy positions as employees mostly in the service sector (hotels, restaurants, catering), in craft trades (car manufacturing, electricity, and plumbing) and in the sales sector (wholesale and retail). Some students have managed to find employment in the IT sector: the MediaFronten in Svendborg trains professionals in marketing videos and website design and a few youths in Leeds have found jobs or started their own business in the multimedia design industry. Col-laboration with an architect office occurs in Marseille and with a dress designer in Catania.

Table 4.4: Employment per sector

Craft works 16% Industrial work 4% Informatics / multimedia industry 6% Commerce and Food 11% Construction 10% Animal care / horticulture 2% Health / Care 9% Sports 2% Other – commercial 28% Other – non-profit 12% Total 100%


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OTHER TYPES OF COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS

The students perceive the Second Chance Schools as one entity, and its versatile functions like training, preparing for employment, cultural development, catering for social, health and dwelling problems are seen as one. The global and uniform con-cept of the Second Chance Schools is in this sense accepted by the target audience. Unfortunately, the Second Chance Schools often have rather weak links with other organizations, which welcome the same public, with some exceptions. Some Schools have developed collaboration, particularly in the provision of vocational training. Bar-celona and Hämeenlinna are based on network models, which exploit the educa-tional capacity in each city. Leeds has firm links to two FE colleges and the Family Learning Centre, Heerlen School is located in the premises of the Arcus College but collaborates with another school. The school in Marseille started up a partnership with six organizations specializing in vocational teaching and having complementary pedagogical tools, and the Norrköping Second Chance School is based within the Marielund Gymnasium. In Catania, the School premises are open to the benefit of other users after school hours.

The two schools in Cologne constitute the spearhead of the city policy in combating youth social exclusion. Heerlen has a similar role. The Second Chance School is one partner in a large working group for school dropouts, constituted by directors of dif-ferent schools, the police, municipalities and social workers. The Hämeenlinna model, the ‘School without walls’, constitutes a network comprised of training provid-ers, social and youth workers, the parish, the City Hall and active NGOs.

Bilbao is a good example for an intense relationship with social workers, who create an indispensable link between the school (in particular the tutors), certain families, the youths and the district. They were associated with the creation of the pilot project and ensure, in particular, the liaison with a local commission on social exclusion. In addition, they participate within the educational team of the School. Some Social Centres (intermediary enterprises for the care of elderly people) are suppliers of ser-vices to the School.

From its very beginning, the school established in Marseilles maintains contact with the Mission Locale. In Leeds, close cooperation exists with GIPSIL (Gipson Single Independent Living Scheme in Leeds), an association helping youths to seek dwell-ings.

Finally, the schools often open themselves up to their social surroundings, such as other youths and adults. They can come and make use of the sporting and cultural equipment at the School, as is the case in Catania and in the Cologne Tageskolleg, where an Internet Café is available for all the youngsters in the neighbourhood. This opening to the environment makes it easier for the Schools to establish and maintain good relations with local inhabitants.

THE RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER SECOND CHANCE SCHOOLS

Throughout the piloting of the Second Chance School and especially with the support of the Commission, the Schools have managed to become a European Second Chance Schools Family. The meetings have been numerous and have taken many


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forms: coordination meetings of the school directors and other staff, thematic semi-nars and conferences, all of which offered a forum for the exchange of ideas, good practices and innovations. The Schools have developed their concepts in tact with this process, paying respect to the guidelines and principles set by the Commission and the reflection on the experiences collected by their colleagues. Nevertheless, local, regional and national needs and circumstances have been the grounds on which the Schools have been established.

These meetings have also accelerated other types of collaboration: bilateral and mul-tilateral projects and exchanges within the frameworks of Leonardo da Vinci, Socra-tes and Connect and private funding of the Schools and their upkeepers (cities, mu-nicipalities, governments).

These means have enabled collaboration at the grass-root level: development pro-jects between the pedagogical teams and exchanges of staff and students. A link has been established to strengthen the network. The Association of the Cities for Second Chance Schools was set up, not only to manage the common projects but also to cater for the communication and information between the Schools (and the Commis-sion) and to affirm the position of the Schools as the main weapon in combating youth exclusion.

The exchanges and sports / multicultural events have provided one way of bringing the target audience, the youth, together. It is obvious that the annual European gath-erings organized in Cologne (1998), Hämeenlinna (1999) and Catania (2000) played a key role in setting up a Second Chance School identity and a feeling for being part of a united Europe. For youths who have failed in so many things, such occasions constitute an opportunity to build their personality, self-esteem and understanding of the world around them.

CONCLUSIONS

The evaluation of partnerships established within the Second Chance Schools re-vealed their extent and their influence on the functioning of and the results achieved by the Schools. Partnerships have been rather extensively established and signifi-cant actions have been undertaken through versatile forms of collaboration. Second Chance Schools have found their own place in combating exclusion. They have managed to occupy a unique position within their environment and are becoming well known among decision-makers.

The Schools have managed to involve new players, particularly from local communi-ties and companies. The role played by local and regional authorities appears essen-tial for the Schools’ development, and not only financially. Exclusion problems are tackled locally and regionally and this creates solidarity networks linking local initia-tives with the world of work. More collaboration and intensified actions are, however, needed for example in the fields of health care and housing problems.


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RECOMMENDATIONS

The Second Chance Schools can be considered as a means to smoothen the transi-tion from education to employment. They also are a place where youths can work on restructuring their personality, gaining knowledge and achieving vocational qualifica-tions. In order to enable the obtaining of diplomas and formal qualifications, which can be seen as gate-openers to permanent employment or further education, the Second Chance Schools should enlarge and formalize their relations with the educa-tion system.

The Second Chance Schools are a link between schools and enterprises, between training and work. A partnership, in particular with companies, representatives of the different professional sectors, professional organizations and trade unions, would make it possible to conceive a better training scheme, one that would be based on real work situations and would better able to focus on vocational skills.

Problems expressed by the youths themselves sometimes go beyond just job hunting or vocational training. They can have problems with establishing their personal goal in life, finding their place in society, of dealing properly with themselves as citizens. It could be useful to involve specialists in the field of social integration, health, housing etc. A multiple approach around the youths' problems would make it possible to tackle exclusion more efficiently, considering the extent of the problems they face.

The Second Chance Schools should place more emphasis on the role a youth plays as a citizen, within society and not only within the functioning of the School. It is also important to particularly stress the European dimension of this active citizenship.


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CHAPTER 5: PEDAGOGY

INTRODUCTION

In its declaration on Combating Exclusion through Education and Training, the Commission announced an anti-exclusion project. This initiative was to mobilise the full range of local players and to provide high quality educational resources in order to raise the employment opportunities afforded to young people who would otherwise have no chance of entering the labour market. Complementing the measures introduced by individual Member States, this should provide a new opportunity on the basis of education and training. Paying respect to the diversity in the area of education in the respective Member States, the Commission pointed out that the particularities of each Second Chance School would depend to a large extent on local and national circumstances, but that some characteristics are to be pertinent. Out of the five aspects the Commission raised, three dealt with pedagogical issues:

• a different teaching and counselling approach focused on the individual’s needs, wishes and abilities;

• flexible modules allowing a combination of basic skills development (numeracy, literacy, social skills) with practical training in and by enterprises;

• a central role for the acquisition of skills in informatic and new technologies.

At the Launching Conference of the Second Chance Schools (June 1997), one of the sessions was entitled Teaching and Learning: what approaches for a ‘Second Chance School’. Already then, the Commission started to form a ‘Second Chance Schools’ family’, one which would be brought together now and again to share their experiences and best practices, and to learn in a dynamic context. For this purpose, the following discussion points were brought before the Conference audience:

• How to recruit first-rate teachers for Second Chance Schools?

• How to teach and motivate?

• What to do differently in a ‘second chance’ in comparison to the first?

• What role for languages?

• What role for new technologies?

• What role for sports and culture?

• How to individualize modules and yet to work with groups and operate as a ‘school’?

• What role for ‘on-the-job’ and ‘in-the-field’ learning?


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• How are psychological subjects such as ‘self-respect’, respect for others, confidence, perseverance and ambition ‘taught’?

• To what extent would the schools’ ambition go in situating the course participants in a new, motivating framework of kinship and role -models?

These were the pedagogical issues that were to direct the Schools in conceptualizing their local models. They were also points that were often discussed in the meetings, seminars and conferences organized for the Schools by the Commission. The pedagogical approaches in their broad sense were also the topic of the teacher meetings held in conjunction with the Youth Meetings in 1998/ Cologne, 1999/ Hämeenlinna and 2000/ Catania.

In assigning the evaluation and thematic monitoring of the Second Chance Schools pilot projects, the European Commission divided the task into five lots, three of them making a specific contribution towards the conceptual development of the Schools. One of them, the ‘lot 3’, dealt with the ‘Educational Methods’, for which the Commission defined the field in the following way:

Innovation through an individualized, integrated approach focusing on the individual, with each school’s curriculum being suitably structured and incorporating the new technologies, tying in with the educational and vocational training system in the country concerned (recognition of qualifications, links with existing systems, added value).

The Commission’s assignment defined the aims, guidelines and principles of the evaluation in a rather pragmatic way. The work of the evaluators of lot 3 on teaching methodologies was specified to monitor, observe, identify and take stake the school's functions, their best practices and innovations, and their strengths and weaknesses.

The thematic monitoring and evaluation of the educational methods was undertaken by visits to the Schools, discussions and interviews, all of which took place with the teachers, tutors, counsellors, administrative staff, students, parents, researchers, local, regional and national civil servants, politicians, and representatives from companies and NGOs. The schools provided the evaluators with relevant written material and, in addition, they used the material and information collected by the Commission. The report reflected mainly on six themes assessed as most essential for the thematic lot 3 on teaching methodologies and the objectives of the monitoring. These were

1. recruitment of teachers and tutors

2. guidance and counselling

3. curricula and training programmes

4. pedagogical approaches

5. new technologies and

6. certification / assessment


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In the following, the most essential findings and features assessed to be typical for a school catering for problematic youth are presented.

RECRUITMENT OF TEACHERS AND TUTORS, QUALIFICATIONS AND CAPACITIES, TEACHER TRAINING AND ROLES IN THE SCHOOL

The various Second Chance Schools have different practices in their use of the words teacher and tutor. In this report, the word teacher used when the role is primarily aimed at the (cognitive) learning process. A distinction is made between a teacher and a tutor as this clearly refers to their differentiated role1 and where the latter is more aimed at issues dealing with attitudes, behaviour, human relations and the solving of personal problems. This function is more evident when the students are younger and is more frequent in southern Europe. In almost all Second Chance Schools, the teachers are mostly recruited from schools of formal education and, with a few exceptions, are paid a salary that is the standard in the formal schools system.

What is characteristic for the teachers is that they are very experienced, especially in dealing with youths who find themselves in difficult life situations. Many have a background as special teachers, they have undertaken studies in special education, psychology, pedagogy, social-pedagogy / pastoral care. Concerning the requirements for formal general or vocational qualifications, the Schools are more strict with the teachers than the counsellors. Academic or vocational degrees are required in almost all Schools for the teaching staff and most of them also have formal teacher qualifications. As to the counsellors (or tutors), the requirements are not quite as strict but often this segment of the personnel has studies in social sciences and pastoral care. For them, formal teacher qualifications appear to be less common. Dual roles of teachers and counsellors (integrating teaching and counselling) are common, such as teachers working in small teams or pairs, either with another teacher or an educated counsellor. Professional counselling is provided on request in many of the Schools but this function is mostly outsourced.

But there are also schools who stress that the formal qualifications are not that essential, instead it is more important is to be ‘a good worker’ and to have ‘big heart for the youngsters in difficulties’. Actually all schools stress the importance of high level interpersonal skills and former experience with the target audience.

Three main criteria were emphasized in the schools to form the basis of the teacher qualifications and competence:

• to be well qualified in a specific discipline or vocation (academic or vocational degree)

• excellent social competencies (character, patience, communication skills, strong personality, open-mindedness, rapport)

• a “big heart” for this target group

1 Though, it should be mentioned that e.g. Leeds Second Chance School uses the word ‘tutor’ and not ‘teacher’ as they want to avoid the undesirable connotation the word ‘teacher’ has among the students who failed in a school staffed with ‘teachers’. Also, FE (further education) staff in the UK are called tutors. Consequently, classrooms are called workshops. In Bilbao, a teacher and a tutor had different roles. There, a teacher would deliver academic tuition and a tutor run the workshops.


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Special teacher training designed solely for the Second Chance School teachers was organized only in Bilbao (in collaboration with a university and the onset of the School/ extensive programme), Hämeenlinna (in collaboration with a vocational teacher training institution solely for the local network) and Heerlen and Seixal (social skills and team building). Others trusted on the external training offer.

GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING

Second Chance Schools aim at the social and professional integration of the affected young people. The systems of guidance and counselling implied in the Schools support the development of both of these aspects. In Leeds, the objective of guidance and counselling is expressed in the following way:

To allow the students to try alternatives and to understand different lifestyles, to raise their awareness about accessible ways to live through small steps, to comprehend that they are not alone, that there is always help. And that there is hope. And that these things are achievable through lifelong learning.

Supporting the personal growth of the youths is an utmost important part of guidance.

In some schools the teachers have a double role. They work guiding individuals and groups of students throughout their learning process (as a teacher of English for example), and at the same time are counsellor to one or more individuals assisting their growth as human beings. They may also assist in solving practical problems of every day life (like housing, money, and health). Some schools split the roles between the tutors of learning (teacher) and the individual tutors (orientated on attitudes, behaviour, human relations in groups, and solving individual problems). For example, Marseilles and Svendborg speak for the double role. In Bilbao the teachers deal with academic disciplines and the tutors have a different background, often as social assistants and in pastoral care / student support. In some schools like Cologne, there is a special service to cater for the employment aspects, taken care of by people specialized in this field.

Typical to all Second Chance Schools seems to be a comprehensive offer and integration of guidance, counselling or mentoring into all activities. Individual assistance is available as well as help in groups. Tracking is a continuous function of all the staff; they want to be available when they are really needed. ”Big heart” and being present seem to be invisibly written into the guidebooks of the Schools.

CURRICULA AND TRAINING PROGRAMMES, DISCIPLINES, INDIVIDUALIZATION

Although pilot Second Chance Schools aim to be an alternative to the ‘traditional’ schools (which are believed to have partly caused the dropout situation of so many youths in Europe), they are at the same time, in different ways, linked to the national school system. In most of the schools, the provision is often a mix of formal or partly formal, non-formal and informal education.


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NOTE. The division of education is based on the definition of the researchers of lifelong learning and the approaches observed in the Second Chance Schools. In this context, formal education and formal learning refer to nationally accredited education, which is based on curricula or core curricula recognized nationally. Non-formal education is organized outside the formal educational structures and not aiming at formal qualifications, diplomas or recognition. Informal learning takes place outside structured tuition of the classrooms, in workshops, project works, in homes, leisure, and the world of work. Informal learning is often incidental. In the Second Chance Schools, informal learning plays a central role and may be goal-orientated and very intensive.

Table 5.1: Typology of the schools according to their relation to the form of education and types of certificates and diplomas awarded by the schools

SCHOOL FORMAL EDUCATION NON-FORMAL EDUCATION

INFORMAL EDUCATION

Athens Education towards national recognized qualifications. Diplomas similar to the formal ones awarded by the school.

Barcelona In existing professional training schools.

Accreditation of participation in the Second Chance studies, done by the Board for Professional and Occupational Training

Bilbao No Vocational education, following the curriculum designed solely for the school

Catania In the first part of the programme: programme leading to middle school level (scuola media)

A major part of the training takes place in the companies and is not based on curricula leading to formal qualifications. The school issues three types of certificates 1) certificate of attendance,

issued by the school, links to the Ministry of Education

2) vocational certificate, issued by the regional authority

3) ‘curriculum CV’ detailing the tasks which took place in the company

Cologne/ Tages- und Abendschule TAS

All education is geared to formal qualifications. Three possibilities for young people who are out of work: 1) secondary school leaving

certificate – lower level (Hauptschulabschluss)

2) school leaving certificate – medium level (Mittlere Reife)

3) both if they stay at least for two years in the school

Cologne/ Tageskolleg VHS

Certificates of secondary education (lower level) Sekundarabschluss I = Hauptschulabschluss nach Klasse 10 (general education school-leaving qualification)

Vocational training, key qualifications through practical phases, social learning

Excursions, short trips abroad, leisure activities


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SCHOOL FORMAL EDUCATION NON-FORMAL EDUCATION

INFORMAL EDUCATION

leaving qualification) Halle Tuition available in connection to

the S.T.E.P. to accomplish the obligatory schooling with ‘Schulabschluss’ (general education school-leaving qualification). Tuition is given by teachers of the general education and paid for by the municipality.

Vocational preparation in two workshops, Malerei (painting) and Tischlerei (carpentry)

Excursions, short trips abroad, leisure activities to encourage personality and team building.

Hämeenlinna Tuition available, depending on individual needs and objectives. For some students the aim is to accomplish the obligatory schooling with ‘peruskoulun päättötodistus’ (leaving certificate of the 9-year compulsory education). Vocational education may be delivered through adult training in modules. The skills achieved may be demonstrated in examinations and will qualify for vocational qualifications (ammatillinen perustutkinto).

Most of the courses available are preparing vocationally but non-formally. This is in order to achieve social integration and to enter the labour market or an education / training. Certificates of attendance, detailing duration and contents of the course are issued by the school.

Especially the Youth Workshop and the Karpaasi Group training are based on informal learning. The aim is more on self-confidence and team building, lifeskills and employability.

Heerlen No Certificates are under construction; students are supported to make a new choice (= following a course in the Regional Training Centre in order to obtain a qualification)

In workshops, practical job. Out -door activities. The aim is more on self-confidence and team building, lifeskills and employability

Leeds All strive for nationally recognised qualifications, which are broken into modules. The following qualifications are available 1) CGSE 2) Certificate in employment skills

and career development 3) Employment award

In workshops, practical job. Out -door activities. The aim is more on self-confidence and team building, lifeskills and employability

Marseilles Students are helped to achieve obligatory educational level (national standards)

The Second Chance School has developed its own system of recognition of progress. The model has an analogy to the ‘Judo belts’.

Norrköping To accomplish obligatory education if insufficient Leaving certificate of compulsory education (9 years) ‘slutbetyg från grundskolan’

Part of the tuition is organised outside the school, in and by the companies

In the companies, in team work sessions, project works

Seixal To accomplish lower secondary level of compulsory education (9 years) ‘Diploma de Estudos Secundários’

Svendborg Tuition is available to accomplish obligatory education, if insufficient, delivered by external teachers. ‘Afgangsbevis fra Folkeskolen’ (certificate awarded after completion of compulsory education)

The activities must comprise both practical work and production and related theory. No certificate, but the school issues a statement on course attendance.

Very much in the workshops and outside workshop hours, excursions, preparation of outdoor activities for the local community (like children).


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SCHOOL Basic Vocation Life IT Language Other Cologne / TAS 40 20 20 10 10

Cologne / VHS 30 50 5 5 10

Halle 20 50 10 5 15

Hämeenlinna Karpaasi2 10 10 80

Hämeenlinna Workshop3 2 81 15 2

Heerlen 10 5 25 20 5 35

Leeds 27 7 26 31 4 5

Marseilles 60 25 10 5

Norrköping 16 63 12 4 5

Seixal 50 10 10 20 10

Svendborg 15 35 35 12 2 1

The readers shall bear in mind that this presentation is only indicative. Most of the schools offer individualized programmes and run parallel training programmes (with different contents) and only a few follow curricula, which would be the same for all. In some schools, like Heerlen for example, the subjects are not taught as stand-alone skill areas or disciplines but integrated into everything the students do throughout their day, in the workshops and numerous projects.

As a result of the individualization of the training programmes, a ‘mean curriculum’ cannot be presented. The ratios indicated in the table differ to a large extent between the students, the phase of the studies (a first year would be more loaded with theory, a second year with practical training), the individual needs and aspirations, the workshop the student is inclined to, etc.

LIFE SKILLS

Even though many of the schools have firm links to the national educational structures and nationally accredited studies, they most often exercise programmes specific to the target audience and the special needs the excluded youth has. Teaching and integrating life skills are recognized as an important supplement to the curriculum offer. The students are often the socially handicapped from the local area, persons who sometimes cannot even cope with a situation with their peer students over a shared lunch, nor deal with the authorities. Health problems and malnutrition are increasing, as too the danger of addiction (alcohol and drugs). Many are aggressive or inhibited and withdrawn as a result of whatever they experienced in their childhood/ youth/ previous schools and are therefore puzzling in their behaviour. Hygiene problems occur. Learning life skills is often integrated into different activities but it may also be part of more informal procedures. An example is the crafts club in Leeds where, over handwork sessions, thematic discussions about important matters of life may take place.

2 The Hämeenlinna Second Chance School is a network where the various parts are very different. The Karpaasi Group deals with the most difficult youth. They would be drug and alcohol abusers, perhaps mishandled youth who first of all need to get back into the routine of a daily life. 3 The Youth Workshop within the Hämeenlinna Second Chance School offers young unemployed chances to up-date their working and life skills.


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The school in Norrköping has embedded the course for life skills into the curriculum and this is offered to all Second Chance students. Life skills as a subject covers learning social competencies (time management, consideration, ethics, consumer education, dealing with banks, invoices, taking out loans, paying taxes etc.). Health and healthy food, sex and living with another person would be important issues, smoking, early motherhood, abortions, drugs, poor diet, too little sleep. As a result of an initiative from the local employers, good manners and behaviour are included into the subject. Job search is practised. Housing issues are dealt with. Living in a democracy is discussed. In Norrköping, life skills are taught for two hours every second Monday and Tuesday afternoons.

INDIVIDUALIZATION

Almost all the Second Chance Schools speak out for individualization. In general, they intend to provide individual training programmes. The Schools seem to stress the point that an individualized or personalized training pathway is also important because it makes the student the protagonist / the main player of their lives. Sometimes, individualization is not only making a personal programme when the training is started but it also means adjusting the pathway throughout the process.

However, the form, level and degree of ‘individualization’ in the Schools are hard to identify. First of all, it seems to be difficult to agree on a good, clear and operational definition of individualization. What does the individualization of learning programmes mean? The schools seem to look at very different aspects of personalized training and education. Is it possible for any student to enrol in a Second Chance School at any time? Does this mean the increased flexibility of operations at the schools? Does it mean that students have a completely individual learning path with his/her own individual speed of achievement and his/her own individual rhythm and tempo, but with the aim to achieve a common goal, fixed for all? Or does it mean that the students can work, at their own pace, towards a level that has been adapted to their individual history, former experience, qualifications and capacities? One educational aspect of the individualization is motivational (to do only what is essential for my personal needs) and another the aim to raise freedom, commitment and responsibility.

The schools have different conceptions on what they actually refer to when they are speaking about individualization. According to the researchers, individualization could be based on the following definition.

Individualized learning combines the needs, which rise from the society, world of work and national core curricula with the interests, aspirations, needs and former learning of individuals. A personal learning programme individualizes learning and teaching in such a way that prior learning and former work experience will be taken into consideration. A personal learning programme shall describe the goals and objectives of the studies and the (best) means and methodology to reach these. It also links the personal programme with the curriculum of the training organization. The progress shall be monitored and followed up and the plan shall be re-assessed when needed. This approach gives the individualized learning the nature of a process rather than that of a document drafted once and for all. A personal learning programme shall be prepared in interaction between a teacher and a student.


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The reasons for an individualized learning programme are

• to define personal learning needs in a more precise way

• to make the learning more flexible

• the students have a better command of their studies when they are given a chance to plan it already from the very beginning

• to support the commitment of the students

• to further profound learning

• to enarni counselling a more individual learning

An individualized learning programme could answer the following questions:

• starting level: preparedness, learning skills, attitudes, motivation, reasons for seeking schooling, other options available

• goals and objectives: learning outcomes and knowledge pursued and needed, chances the schooling will offer, suitability of schooling, contents of the training programme, means to achieve the goals

• organization of learning: matching work, family, studies and leisure time, possibilities for planning and timing the learning, needs and ways for guidance, learning individually and/or in a group

• learning: abilities and styles, readiness to study independently, matters supporting self-dependent learning

• assessment: how feedback is organized, how often, what is assessed, how it is assessed

In general, the Second Chance Schools intend to provide individual training programmes. The schools seem to stress the point that the individualized or personalized training pathway is also important because it makes the student the protagonist / the main player of their lives. Sometimes, individualization is not only making a personal programme when training is started, but it also means adjusting the pathway throughout the process.

In the evaluation, the Schools were asked to fill in a questionnaire with questions like (i) tuition ratio outside class/ in class (ii) percentage of obligatory hours (iii) number or ratio of obligatory subjects (iv) number of optional subject and (v) option for different educational levels/ individual needs. The questions rather reflected the flexibility of the training delivery than the forms and levels of individualization of the training programmes. The answers were very diversified and did not too well support the idea of freedom of choice as the curriculum offer and the execution of studies appears rather rigid.


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Therefore, another exercise concerned with the call for individualization has been carried out in discussions with the Schools. Then, the following aspects were looked at:

1. recognition of former education and experience

2. personal needs and aspirations

3. starting level, preparedness, abilities, attitudes, motivation and learning styles

4. setting personal goals and objectives, contents of learning

5. organization of training, modes, independence of time and space, individual versus group

6. guidance and counselling

7. assessment of learning outcomes and performance.

Recognition of former education and experience is respected in those Second Chance Schools, which offer education leading to national accreditation.

Personal needs and aspirations are respected practically in all schools. It is a fundamental idea of the Second Chance Schools to build and design the training programmes to meet the individuals’ requirements. The students so often failed in the traditional school, which – for many reasons – could not take into consideration all persons as individuals but were expected to make progress with their peer group, in tact, with the same interests. This often ruined motivation and now, in the Second Chance School, this is to be rebuilt.

Starting level, preparedness, and abilities, attitudes, motivation and learning styles are also most often respected - but perhaps not always in a systematic way. Often the teaching staff or tutors / counsellors interview the potential students and these questions are touched upon. Some of the schools do testing of aptitudes or learning styles and bring the results into the learning process.

Setting personal goals and objectives and the contents of learning is realized only in part of the schools. Personal aspirations are rather well respected, but when we for example look at the ratio of obligatory subjects, the idea of setting up personalized contents of learning is not supported.

Organization of training modes, independence of time and space, individual versus group - these are questions where we can see that the schools do respect individualization. In some schools, students may have a choice of how to learn, they are not pushed into just sitting down and listening to lectures and lessons. Moreover, they are encouraged to find extraordinary ways, like researching information on the net. Schools also seek to integrate theory and practice, knowledge needed to accomplish a practical task may be embedded in the workshop sessions and delivered to the students when they need it.


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Guidance and counselling are functions that are emphasized in the Second Chance Schools. In many of them, guidance and counselling are almost continuously available and the students may step in to ask for help, advice and support when they are in need. Often, guidance, counselling and tutoring are the functions of the teaching staff. One great benefit, for example, is that the problems faced by the students may be dealt with in a comprehensive way; and difficulties encountered in studies may be seen as directly linked to problems in personal life.

Assessment of learning outcomes and performance, as an issue of individualized approach, is not that central in the Second Chance Schools. Most of the schools have developed models for following up the activities (log books, diaries), but if there are no set individual goals, attainment of which could be measured, the assessment of outcomes cannot be personalized.

PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES, ON-THE-JOB LEARNING, LINKS WITH THE WORLD OF WORK

At the start of the European Pilot of Second Chance Schools, some principles were globally acknowledged and recognized; the following dealt especially with pedagogical issues:

• A different teaching and counselling approach focusing on the individual’s needs, wishes and abilities, and stimulating his or her active learning

• Flexible modules allowing the acquisition of basic skills (numeracy, literacy, social skills) to be combined with practical training in and by companies

• A central role for the acquisition of skills in and through informatics and new technologies

On-the-job learning and work-related learning methodologies were emphasized in the talks about conceptual development, as in the discussion about the companies’ role in the training delivery. The relation between the Second Chance School and the enterprise is an issue – philosophically, pedagogically and didactically. It is always the local working conditions that lay down the terms for the collaboration between the Schools and the world of work. Many of the Second Chance Schools have been established on something that already existed. And sometimes, it has not been the primary task of education to smoothen the transition from school to working life. Here the companies are required to participate more in the training of young persons so as to make their transition into the world of work easier.

In their pedagogical approaches, the Second Chance Schools are very different. Some features could be summed up:

• most are trainee-centred and follow adult pedagogical approaches

• students are throughout respected as individuals and not as a mass

• theory is mostly not offered as separate disciplines or through isolated lessons but rather through integration


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• traditional tuition is often replaced through group work, project work and thematic approaches

• learning through work is respected comprehensively, workshops offer options to train ‘hands-on’ and to produce real products

• on-the-job periods are offered, sometimes to introduce the world of work through small tasters but also as a method to complete the training

Many of the Schools have developed interesting pedagogical approaches and they would deserve to be described more thoroughly. The extent of the report only allows one School to be presented as an example of innovation that comes very close to the principles the Commission set for the Second Chance Schools. This is the School in Sweden, Norrköping, a middle-sized city, which was earlier highly industrialized, but today faces major unemployment and difficulties as a result of factory shut-downs. The School has designed a 2+3 model where the students go to school 2 days of the week and work in the partnership companies for 3 days. Through a mentoring scheme and a contracting system, the companies are committed to conduct part of the training delivery.

NORRKÖPING

The Norrköping Second Chance School is an example of re-orientation in school activities. There, the Second Chance is a small unit split into two groups, 15 students and 2 teachers in each, within a larger community of the Marielund Gymnasium. Already previously the Gymnasium had conceived a small shelter, the ‘basklass’ (basic education) for those who were socially the most handicapped. The Gymnasium also occupied a hatchery for immigrants, entitled Ruddam. And among the ‘normal’ students of the Gymnasium (which already itself offers programmes for those at the real risk of exclusion), a group of ‘grey-zone’ (great difficulties) students resided. Recruitment into the Second Chance School was open for all, but to be selected certain criteria had to be met.

• Time management

• No actual drug abuse nor crime

• Will to invest in a job and to sign a contract, which binds them to complete any course of training they have started

The interest was quite remarkable although the school tried to stress that this is not an easy choice. The youths should be prepared to work! The school week is divided into theory and practice and normally the student would come to the school on Mondays – Tuesdays and go to work on Wednesdays – Fridays. The school has built a comprehensive programme around the work practice with the funds they receive from the European Social Fund. Every student has a real job and a personal mentor who is an employer of the undertaking. A contract is signed between the different parties (school, student, and employer) and it defines both the tasks the student has to learn at work and the subject area the school has to cover.


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The pedagogical approach of the school, where the guidance and counselling are embedded into the roles of the teachers, is also interesting. It gives an impression of a big family where the students, when they start, are like vulnerable babies in a cradle, teachers caring for them like parents. But at the same time, from the moment the relationship between the teacher and the student is born, the process to cut the umbilical cord starts. The door is open to go into the world – the bond between the teachers and the students must not be seen as permanent.

The Norrköping Second Chance School has formulated a written statement on their working methodology. Their starting point is that the students are able and they want to learn. But they need assistance to get started and that they need to be followed up to stand firm. All this requires

• Flexible methodology and unconventional working methods, capability to empathise with the group and the individual

• Small tasks within easy-reach milestones. Start-up with simple, practical assignments and things familiar to the students, progressive aims, more creative and independent study

• Clear and simple ways to present the results and progression. Weekly duties, which are assessed on Fridays. Other tests and assignments, which demonstrate the performance of the students.

• Peace in the classroom, which is achieved through rules and sanctions.

The students all have similar problems, based on their previous experience. They lack endurance and patience. They have fears and are excluded, as a result of previous failures have no self-confidence. They have a narrow and prejudiced worldview. To battle with this situation, the school relies on

• High tempo

• Fast changing assignments

• Short, concrete duties and tasks

As methods, following are used

• Debates on news, appreciation and ethics

• Getting acquainted with the world, other countries and their lifestyles

• Democratic approaches are favoured.

The aim of the school is

• To create a positive climate


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• To create an atmosphere of solidarity and togetherness

• To let the students achieve success

The school finds essential

• To meet the youths where they are

• Equality

• Mutual respect

• Importance of having a good relationship

• To mediate a feeling that there is an adult who is there for them

• To start the disengagement process from the students the day they start at the school

NEW TECHNOLOGIES

One of the original guidelines and principals for setting up a Second Chance School is A central role for the acquisition of skills in and through informatics and new technologies.

This point has been understood in all the Second Chance. However, the adaptation of this principle varies a lot from school to school. The use of computers is in the heart of learning in most of the schools. PCs, multimedia and Internet create the possibility to learn the skills needed in the world of work of today and to become a member of the information society.

The information technology is exploited in different ways, in some schools it is taught as a subject, in others PCs are a tool for learning – through the use of different software for learning the basic skills. Off-the-shelve packages seem to be available in mother tongue, foreign languages and mathematics in most of the countries. The Bilbao Second Chance School has designed its own software for this purpose. And often, information technology is used to do some research work on the Internet, for information retrieval or just to do some surfing around. Some schools provide email addresses for their students, and occasionally these are even used for more than sending a message to a fellow student.

If the use of information technology is ‘under-developed’, this maybe, for example, due to the following reasons:

• lack of suitable hardware,

• lack of good software (adapted to the target group);


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• lack of experienced teachers;

• lack of interest in IT, no insight on its benefits and usage.

Some Second Chance Schools are further ahead in information technology than the others. To give some examples:

• Leeds provides two labs, one for Internet and one for multimedia. Teachers come from the College of Art and Design, a partner in the local network. Students are encouraged to use the Internet for research;

• Svendborg has a site dedicated only to information technology and communication. MedieFronten educates experts of different areas and in some of them, like web design, the school is bidding for tenders on the open market.

• Marseilles is developing a smart card (carte à puce) to give it the function of portfolio of competencies. Together with other Second Chance Schools, Marseilles wishes to develop a European standard, a kind of diploma of informatics; the minimum a student of a Second Chance School should master.

• Cologne has an Internet Café open for the students and also for the people of the neighbourhood

• Bilbao has developed a CD-ROM to teach basic skills

Some schools have developed or want to develop their own multimedia products for their specific target group. Most of them have expressed their wish to co-operate in European projects (Socrates, Leonardo). PCs, multimedia and Internet encourage communication across boarders between Second Chance Schools, teachers and students and assist students to accept and even practice different languages and engage with different cultures. In most of the schools the students made it clear that learning computing and IT, computer based learning, Internet etc. is an important element in building up the motivation for learning.

CERTIFICATION - ASSESSMENT OF ACHIEVEMENTS

The ways the Second Chance Schools in different countries assess the achievements and learning outcomes of their students is often the consequence of the degree of integration into the formal educational structure and the freedom of curricular design the School exercises. Importance of national qualifications and formal certificates is different in different countries. For example in Germany and Finland, where a person can hardly get a job without a formal qua lification, in Italy and Greece a job is on offer for those who have the right skills. Portugal offers rather well paid casual work, a situation where motivation for education may be difficult to gain.


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The Second Chance Schools try to answer the question about what is important in future. A diploma recognized by the national educational bodies or new ways to assess competencies, which the world of work would validate? In the Second Chance Schools two extremes can be identified. At one end there is the Svendborg Second Chance School, originally a production (high) school, and from January 1 2000 on part of the educational structure. As a result of the free school movement in Denmark, the school does not exercise any exams or certificates. And the Marseilles Second Chance School, in the attorney of a new institute created for this specific target group, is not too tightly linked to the traditional national school system. They have developed their own system of recognition of progress in the form of belts (like in sports, Judo). No examinations that count, but the progress of the individual student shows what he/she is aiming at. This kind of individual evaluation is seen as an important aspect of individualized learning. Marseilles is looking for a European standardized, accepted method of recognition of progress. The actual tool is a carnet de bord, a logbook, partly filled in by the student himself and partly by the student and the teacher/tutor together.

At the other end we have the schools like the Tages- und Abendschule in Cologne, following the national examinations and preparing the students for a leaving certificate. The school is, as a matter of fact, part of the education structure. Another example is Leeds, where everybody striK strlp85;2 the Ta6 Tc (43) Tj 25.5 002 TD 0.301 904 0.5691 p85rucloprewithologne, 55.j -12.75 -14.25 44 -0.063827c 1.093atiow (marUKstrlp85;2 the Ta6the educr own bd prproglinked e. The a two ndousividual) Tj 0 Tc 0.414 Tw ( ) Tj 0 -13 0 TTf -0.13.3157 1.9852 tha methoer thnew w thied we hann tucatiati Tttornee. The'sss. oftnal atio(like darunle prtstemads,as4 Tecogureividual certi3cert4dgitiohod rdly filpartifof the 3424Tj -160.5 - 0 T5g 71 Tj -42 -14.25 T35g1i

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• work demonstration and assignments

• accounts, report, logbooks, diaries and possibly tests

• project results

• portfolios

• peer assessment

RECOMMENDATIONS

What really matters in dealing with the youth at risk of exclusion is the relationship between the student and the teachers and tutors. Most of the Second Chance School students are dropouts from the ordinary schools and have unfortunate experience and failures behind them. Their social background is often very fragile, homelessness, suicide, and broken homes resulting in extended families – stepparents and brothers/sisters. Some have experienced abuse as children – physical/emotional/sexual. Drug abuse and alcohol abuse is common. Many live independently because of broken relationship with parents and stepparents. They need also support emotionally and financially, not only in terms of education and civil behaviour.

The goal must be to win the trust of these youths. It is important to show an interest in the students and not to stop, for example with the 4th letter. Most of the students have a lot of experience about providers of social aid. And have had enough of it. The role of the school personnel is rather demanding. It often combines the functions of traditional teaching and pastoral care / student support / counselling. The role of the teacher is changing, expanding. Recruitment of teachers from the regular system is a challenge, most often they are trained to teach from the traditional curriculum but the Second Chance Schools require more. A wider training and a broader role are required. And even more, more staff is needed. The more personal attention the students can have, the better the chances are to combat exclusion. Certainly, it has a price but if this is the way to better results, the society is obliged to bear the costs.

A remark should be made concerning the teaching methodologies and especially the role of learning through work. At the onset of the Second Chance Schools, the European Commission suggested new approaches and among these were the on-the-job learning, learning in the field and the training in a company and by a company. The schools have taken this initiative into consideration on a large scale and when looking at the teaching approaches and methodologies in the schools, virtually all of them report of a successful utilization of work-related methods.

The work-centred approaches are diversified and actually none of the schools is exclusively sticking to the traditional classroom pedagogy, based solely on lessons and lectures. The main idea seems to be the introduction to the world of work at the earliest stage, be it inside or outside the school, in the workshops or in the companies. The spectrum of approaches varies from Athens, where the students are sent to companies after the first 6-month period (at the school) to a job placement to Svendborg, where practically all learning is geared to workshops and the production of goods and where theory is integrated into these sessions. The Second Chance


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students are often the school failures who have had enough with traditional schools and their one line teacher – student pedagogy, often only emphasizing theory.

The students themselves, when interviewed on the issue of work-related learning, expressed their interest and wish to go for something practical and real – work. An example is the Norrköping School where the students went through an application procedure before they were accepted to the Second Chance School. In this process, they were introduced to the selection criteria. Among other factors, they had to prove a will to invest in a job and to sign a contract, one which binds them to complete any course of training they had started. In Norrköping the 2+3 model (2 days at the school + 3 days in the companies) is actually the point that fascinates the youths; the chance to quickly enter the world of work and possibly to have a real job. This is seen as the way to independent living and the management of one's own life.

Guidance and counselling, both vocational and general, need to be paid careful attention to. All-inclusive, integrated approaches need to be developed. The target group of the Second Chance Schools is very heterogeneous and their problems diverse. The function of the Schools cannot be solely training-related nor job-search/ employment-related. Nor can they be solely an external force, rather the target; the students themselves need to become active subjects. Traditional, standardized models need to be expanded to cover more broadly based approaches, which would have their starting point in the general life situation of the youths. There the deficiency is often not only educational or related to deficient work experience but also to social, socio-economic, psychic, mental, family or health-related factors and the like. The under-utilized capacity has to be treated in a holistic way so as to facilitate the transition from youth to adulthood and from education to the world of work. For this, the Schools have to become more visible and open to various kinds of partnerships, ones which will ensure sustainable development.


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CHAPTER 6: CLIENT GROUP

INTRODUCTION

Today several hundred thousand young people living in the European Union, most of them in large metropolitan conurbation, are totally without access to training schemes or employment. This situation is unjust. It also threatens the cohesion of our society and the future of the European social model and represents a tremendous waste of our most precious asset, our human resources. Therefore, in its declaration on Combating Exclusion through Education and Training, the Commission announced an anti-exclusion project.

This initiative was to mobilise the full range of local players and to provide high quality educational resources in order to raise the employment opportunities afforded to those young people who would otherwise have no chance of entering the labour market. Complementing the measures introduced by individual Member States, this should provide new opportunities through education and training.

At the Launching Conference of the Second Chance Schools (June 1997), the Commission began to form a ‘Second Chance Schools’ Family’, one which would be brought together now and again to share their experiences and best practices, and to learn in a dynamic context. Already there, local needs for such a School, the profiles of the target group and the means to identify potential students and how to recruit them were discussed. All agreed on the promotion of equal opportunities and European solidarity, but the needs appeared diversified. No one party denied the existence of such a problem but the scope of the problem differed to a great extent.

There were cities like Bilbao who claimed a global unemployment rate of 24 percent, but 57 per cent among youth. Marseilles announced that the unemployed youths between 16 to 25 years of age to total 55,000 in the City. The more northern countries announced more modest problems but agreed that they wished to learn from the experience gained by the others.

The Commission’s original definition of the target-group was young people who

• are no longer of statutory school age

• are between 15 and 25 years of age

• have no qualifications

• have for whatever reason failed to complete their schooling or training

In assigning the evaluation and thematic monitoring of the Second Chance Schools pilot projects, the European Commission divided the task into five lots, three of which making a specific contribution towards the conceptual development of the Schools. One of them, the ‘lot 4’, dealt with the ‘student profiles’, for which the Commission defined the field in the following way:


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Profile (socio-economic and ethnic characteristics, domestic background, previous educational path, family ties, typologies), identification, recruitment (strategies, selection criteria, role of third parties, motivation) and school achievements of the target group.

The evaluation was conducted in the Second Chance Schools through intensive discussions with the various parties (school representatives, students, parents, employers, local authorities involved in the school management and provision of education). The parties also filled out an extensive questionnaire, either individually or with the evaluators. The evaluation has been rather laborious to carry out. The Schools and the student profiles are manifold, the Schools run in different tacts, individual intake and programmes bring about asynchronous scheduling of the studies and exits, statistics are not entirely up to date, national restrictions and legislation on registering matters threaten privacy and confidentiality.

BENEFICIARIES

The somewhat loose definition of the target group set by the Commission has lead to a situation where the Schools have sometimes had to really consider who their clients are. Exclusion as a phenomenon is also rather complex and different in various countries.

The question is about who is to be defined as excluded. Is exclusion educational or social? Exclusion takes many forms (economic, social, political, cultural, that rising from physical of mental disability and is sometimes deeply rooted). Exclusion is for many being not part of something: work, housing, friends, care, cultural capacity and means to influence. (Social) exclusion is a multidimensional phenomenon, more than just a low income. It includes equal access to education, employment, health care, judicial system, rights, decision-making and participation.

Often, those who drop out of formal education lack the fundamental skills needed to find employment. They may have received no form of vocational training and are therefore likely to have difficulty in finding a job. At the same time, the number of jobs requiring no formal training is decreasing, especially in industrial countries with highly developed service sectors. In addition, young people without a complete education may experience difficulties with regard to social integration and active participation in a democratic society.

Defining the characteristics of those participating in the project and featuring the students is a difficult task. What they share in common across Europe is that their transition from youth to adulthood and from school to the world of work has been disturbed. The group outside education and the world of work is very heterogeneous, and their problems are often related to non-existent/insufficient education and a lack of employment experience (in a formal waged economy), social background and injured life control. The following list includes most of those reasons which may have marginalised the clients of the Second Chance Schools

• Uncompleted basic education

• No vocational education


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• No motivation, biased stand towards education/ work, school allergy

• School problems, learning problems, school leavers

• Egoism and selfishness, faulty social skills

• Ethnic background

• Living under poverty line, financial problems, living under income support

• Fragile psychological condition

• Health problems

• Fragile families

• Unemployment, long-term unemployment

• Over-generational unemployment

• Lack of vacancies, uncertainty of employment

• Housing problems

• Crime

• Delinquency behind them but an avoidance of taking employment as hence liable for damages and a major part of the earnings would be deducted

• Drugs and alcohol abuse

• Fallen into the social security system, target of passivating measures, living in a welfare economy

• Very often interested in work though the society stigmatises the other way round

A conclusion to be reached after considering the heterogeneous target audience is that the schools receiving the potential students should not fall into the trap of assessing them through stereotype thinking. Tests, assessments and interviews are needed and genuine individual approaches called for.

Recruitment of students takes many forms in different countries. In some countries the employment authority may provide the Schools with accurate information about potential students, sometimes the City Social Service may do this work. There are cities where the school workers (perhaps along with the city social workers) go to the streets to look for youth that might benefit from a second chance. Some Schools do marketing of various kinds, advertise in the papers and neighbourhoods, and send letters and the ’African telephone’/ word of mouth has turned out to be a very useful means of recruitment.

Local circumstances have a strong influence on the recruitment, e.g. in Leeds the local Job Centre was unable to provide any unemployed young people. Some Schools avoided taking ‘difficult’ students and preferred to help easier, less risky


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ones who would find employment quickly (e.g. Seixal, Athens). A good awareness of the environment is certainly the asset the Second Chance Schools possess in order to recruit effectively.

According to the definition of the target audience given by the Commission, the Second Chance students are supposed to be over the statutory school age, otherwise the Second Chance School might be seen as an alternative to the ordinary schools. The school-leaving age is lower in Portugal, Spain and Italy than in the other countries involved. Halle admits younger people who are unable to make progress in compulsory schooling. Other schools may accept students still of statutory school age because of individual circumstances – they may be refugees, immigrants, disabled, suffering from long-term illness, etc.

As for an upper limit, ‘young’ could mean up to 24, 26 or even 30 years old. Age gaps of six to eight years are significant at these levels. Most Second Chance School use adult teaching methods and avoid terminology such as ‘classroom’ and ‘pupil’ (replacing the latter by ‘student’ or ‘participant’).

Athens (35 students) is totally different, ages vary from 23 to 52, with only 17% of the audience being under 30. This age-range can be explained through local needs and does make sense when thought of in the context of lifelong learning. Furthermore, Athens is apparently intending to take in younger people in the future.

The question can be raised about an optimum age to start in a Second Chance School. There seems to be two answers. A Second Chance School can take in students as soon as they leave the statutory system (as in Barcelona and Catania), or they can allow the youngsters time to recognize the problems of being dropouts (e.g. Marseilles, which insists on a one-year gap after leaving school). There are advantages to both approaches, and certainly every case has to be treated on the basis of the individual circumstances of each student. Some of the most difficult cases are those who have been out of any learning environment for several years. It is probably true that a student’s chronological age is less relevant than his or her personal experience of school and training for work.

The questionnaires indicate a good deal of variation in the students’ attitudes towards ‘growing up’ and entering the adult world. These attitudes sometimes differ sharply from those of the teachers and parents involved, especially with regard to urgency and wasting time.


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Table 6.1: Number of students (as per February 2000)

* Barcelona: no data about the division between boys and girls.

Second Chance Schools -- Students(Schools > 100 students)

276181 134 120 146 116

288

95103 100 44 68

350

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

CologneTAS

CologneVHS

Svendborg Marseilles Bilbao Hämeenlinna Barcelona

Girls

Boys


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The issue about the participation of the two genders is interesting. One might assume that the roughly equal shares would be present in the Second Chance Schools. This is not always the case. In Cologne - although there is a slight majority of females on one site -, numbers are approximately equal, in spite of a large number of mainly foreign unemployed young women locally. In Svendborg, equality of genders is almost present, and equal opportunities are available for all. In Norrköping, there are ten girls out of a total of 30 students. The school has expressed its disappointment in these numbers. As in Marseilles and Leeds, pregnancies have been one factor in the numbers of girls abandoning their Second Chance School education. Leeds was overwhelmed at first by young men and the resulting macho atmosphere, and has since made an attempt to select equal numbers of young men and women. It still seems to be difficult everywhere for young women to achieve a balance between school and family life. In Bilbao only 23% are female. Halle and Heerlen have no girls and this is a result of careful consideration by the School management. The decision is based on the experience of the youngsters who in their teenage years often feel uneasy and troubled with their awakening sexuality and relations with the opposite gender. Especially in Heerlen one of the reasons not to mix girls with boys was that many females in the target group in this region have experienced sexual harassment and therefore find themselves extremely fragile, scared and frightened if there are males around.

The evaluation has revealed that some of the Second Chance Schools have set some requirements concerning the level of general education, skills and aptitudes for the entry. Some examples are

1) Svendborg adopts a radically open approach as to the abilities of its potential students and is open to all, literate or not.

2) Norrköping tries to find work for students whatever the level they start from, and then on need provides the services of teachers of Swedish as a foreign language, and of specialists in dyslexia and literacy.

3) Marseilles accepts only those who are literate.

4) Leeds sets no minimum standards and takes care not to accept students of too high a level who might benefit from attending courses elsewhere.

5) Some schools, e.g. Cologne, use entry tests and interviews. Sometimes those rejected may be offered a place later.

LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS LEARNING

Most students in the Second Chance Schools have experienced failure in their previous school life, and it is difficult to measure the level they have attained. The choices they took have often turned out badly and they are worried about making new choices.

At first young people often find it difficult to speak about their previous schooling. Once they get over this, however, they are often difficult to stop, pouring out their failures, their unhappiness, their boredom, even their hatred of school. As students of former schools, some have had bad experiences (such as ‘nobody helped me - I


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couldn’t do anything right, the teachers told me’), others recognize that they had really been helped, and even some of the ‘rebels’ admitted that their teachers had occasionally been right.

The attitudes to learning can be put into three groups and three types of students are apparent.

1) Those who learn slowly, with difficulty, but are often willing to stick doggedly at learning basic skills

2) ‘Rebels’ who do not like rules or advice, who admit their present position may be partly their own fault, but who still need to be convinced that they have to take responsibility for their own future

3) Those who have suffered badly from poverty, family breakdown, or other multiple problems and who have to develop their desire to learn.

These three categories are found in varying degrees in all schools; what matters is that the educators are able to take these different types of learners into account. Norrköping explicitly uses the three categories in its recruitment.

STUDENTS HAVE EXPERIENCED A VARIETY OF PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS, AND THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF THESE IS WHAT HOLDS THEM BACK.

These problems are well known to professionals, and most schools offer social workers and other professionals to help young people. The reasons for the need of professional help include of some of the following: personal and family problems often starting in early childhood, abuse and cruelty, break-up of families, absence of cultural and moral values due to war or migration, poverty, hunger, loneliness, together with the effects of illness, alcohol, drugs, prostitution and early pregnancy.

The students often have difficulties in speaking about their background. There is a danger to misinterpret the hints they give about their past. But the realities are there. Almost all the Halle students were extremely deprived. In Leeds signs of bad health, poor diet, inadequate clothing, no sense of a future were all evident, and it takes time to persuade students there to attend regularly and to win their confidence in the possibility of future employment. Even the students in the affluent society of Heerlen were dropouts. In Bilbao a young woman could not believe training given by adults would not include abuse and rape. In Hämeenlinna recruitment is carried out in the streets at night, since young people will not come to the schools of their own initiative.

In Heerlen, where in spite of excellent social services young people still slip through the safety net, tutors need much patience and perseverance to make contact with highly deprived youngsters who have no spirit, nor desire to improve their lives.

The number of seriously disturbed students varies from almost none to almost all in any one school. None of the factors listed above works in isolation: it is their cumulative effect which risks producing an irreversible downward spiral. A successful social teaching strategy puts the student in the centre of the frame, tries to reduce the effect of each type of disadvantage, and above all aims at encouraging students to take responsibility for their own future.


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Table 6.2: Social background of the students (as per February 2000)

74% 78%

0% 36% 78%

0%0%

11%33%

13% 26% 38% 63%

21%

0% 18%

0% 46%28%

63%42%

22%

89%15%77% 78%

100%100%

0%4%

0% 23% 41%

29%

0%

Social background of SCS students(Schools < 100 students)

10% 9%

3%

50%

0% 14%

20% 33%

23%100%

11%11%

20%20%

22% 60%

6% 18%

40% 45%44%

65%

26%24%

44%

35%8% 70%

0%2%

Social background of SCS students(Schools > 100 students)


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Four types of school according to the type of student selected

The Second Chance Schools can be grouped into four according to the entry requirements and forms of recruitment. These categories are of course generalizations, and there are plenty of exceptions in every school.

1) Heerlen, Leeds, Halle, and one part of Hämeenlinna - these schools take very deprived young people, and often go out to where the students are in order to recruit them.

2) Marseilles, Cologne, Bilbao and Norrköping - these take students who have overcome many of their past problems and can write their own applications and show commitment.

3) Catania, Seixal, Barcelona - these deal with students with a low level of education but who benefit from far more support and a more recent, if shorter, experience of education than those in groups 1 and 2. Athens mainly takes working adults who are seeking training so as to improve their employment prospects.

4) Svendborg takes absolutely anyone, disadvantaged or not, in need of training of any kind.


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CHAPTER 7: SECOND CHANCE SCHOOL: A EUROPEAN PILOT

The pilot design has some features that are worth going through and giving some thought on their potential for this initiative and for others that may be developed in the fu-ture. These features have determined a particular approach that the Directorate - Gen-eral of Education and Culture applied in the management of the SCS scheme. They re-fer to the SCS model, to the use of national consultants and the promotion of activities to give the initiative a European dimension. What follows are some thoughts on these three features. Nevertheless, the debate remains open, hoping for a more active participation by an ever larger number of cities.

THE MODEL

The previous chapters illustrated how the Second Chance School Initiative has been translated into 14 interesting projects, all of them following the same ultimate aim - to combat the socio-economic exclusion of youths.

These projects, although adopting the approach of dealing with all the problems faced by young people, have all chosen different strategies and implemented different training models. Each SCS pilot project has developed its own strategy in its search to best mobilise local forces for offering a high quality, innovative learning opportunity to young people. Why has a single initiative given birth to such different projects?

To understand this diversity, one has to go back to the starting point of this European scheme. It is well known that all Member States have been implementing a number of measures to promote inclusion of weak segments of the population long before the SCS initiative. Many of these initiatives emphasized the need to fill a gap in their educational systems and so provide a real alternative for those youths who could not benefit from the opportunities given by mainstream schools.

Accordingly, the SCS scheme was meant to build on previously gained experience to provide dropouts a real alternative outside the traditional education system. Being initia-tives born locally, the character of the SCSs was expected to be heavily dependent on local/national conditions. In this context, so as to create a common ground to work to-gether the EC defined a set of principles that constituted a general framework for the ini-tiative.

The SCSs were expected to be based on these common principles. However, the defi-nition of these principles was not as straightforward as it seemed during the launch of the initiative, giving room for a wide range of interpretations as the thematic studies have shown. This is not necessarily a negative or a weak factor in the scheme because it was necessary to give flexibility to the cities so as to allow them to develop the most appropriate project for each one specific context.

The subsequent development of the SCS projects across Europe followed the pattern that was shown in the previous chapters. The results of the thematic studies on the teaching methods and the characteristics of the target population and the partnerships confirm the existence of substantial differences. Furthermore, additional data on the


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SCSs structure, management and links with the education system only bring other fac-tors of diversity into play.

This heterogeneity in the typology of the projects was intensified by two factors. One is the lack of direct funding of the schools themselves from the EC. Not having a budget line, the SCS initiative could not be part of a programme and so the control over the SCSs remained completely at the national/local level. The other important factor was the project’s links with the country’s education system. In general, those projects that could develop without the constraints imposed by the education system had much more flexi-bility. These SCSs, although following the established principles, were able to adapt them in such a way that they were able to respond better to local needs and did not have to work within a framework of constraints determined by the national requirements.

To summarize, the source of funding and the relationship with the national education systems determined the degree of freedom with which the cities could work in the de-velopment of their projects and whom they were to target. This in turn determined how they were able to adapt to the local context and how they allocated their available re-sources.

Would it have been better to provide for a strict set of guidelines so as to have a more standardized model of SCSs? The argument is that the flexibility found in the definition of the principles for the SCS initiative was the best strategy and that it should have been followed even if the projects had been funded by the Directorate - General of Education and Culture. In fact, the strength of the SCS initiative lies in its flexibility. It allowed the most innovative schools to apply the approach most suitable to their local environment and make best use of local resources. Their experience and knowledge can now be shared with less innovative schools to help them improve their effectiveness and rein-force local efforts in their fight against exclusion. Nevertheless, this diversity brought about some weaknesses. Communication was not easy, and the exchange of knowl-edge and experience is only in its first stages.

THE ROLE OF THE CONSULTANTS

An interesting aspect of the EC strategy was the assignment of a national consultant to each pilot project with a view to promote their development. The consultants provided technical assistance during the pilot phase, one that in general lasted a year. The assis-tance provided by the consultants included the search for adequate funding for the run-ning of the project during its pilot phase. But the role of the consultants went well beyond that since it was through them that the SCSs started to network, forming the basis for a bigger impact.

Even though the Schools were not involved in the appointment, most of the consultants were able to establish a good rapport with the Schools and, in many cases, the consult-ants’ involvement was crucial to the development of the initiative. Nevertheless, their role remained limited. Some of the schools saw the consultants as a mechanism of control from the EC and this may have created some problems, in particular when the Director-ate - General of Education and Culture was asking for their collaboration in the gathering of information. During the pilot phase, the European coordinator prepared a set of moni-


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toring fiches to collect information on project implementation. Most consultants encoun-tered problems in having the SCSs fill out the fiches and keeping them up to date.

As monitoring is a function of management, each SCS had its own monitoring system. It would have probably been easier had the projects been involved in the development of the fiches. The SCSs could have included them in their monitoring systems and the fiches would have became part of their management system and not seen as something imposed by an outsider.

As shown above, there was no special financing of the pilot projects by The Directorate - General of Education and Culture. Nevertheless, one third of the projects developed un-der European aid, mostly the European Social Fund. Since most of the projects were fi-nanced with State or local funds, the supervisory authority remained in the country and the influence of the Commission and the consultants was limited. In this context, the na-tional consultants’ role, after the start-up phase, concentrated mostly on the development of the European dimension of the project. The limited influence of the Commission should not be seen as a negative factor because it strengthened the bottom-up ap-proach. It is important to mention that the SCS were born as a result of a local interest in the initiative and that the Cities are the main promoters. The Directorate - General of Education and Culture continued to play a key role in the promotion and development of the Second Chance initiative by organizing and financing a number of activities aimed at the sharing of experience and the dissemination of the results.

An alternative to this approach could have been to pool consultants and to call on the competencies for all schools requiring assistance. However, this approach would not have allowed developing the personal rapport that facilitated the work and brought the SCSs to collaborate with the development of the initiative.

THE EUROPEAN DIMENSION

To facilitate the development of the European dimension of the SCS initiative and to promote the development of a network, the Directorate - General of Education and Cul-ture appointed a consultant firm with the responsibility of coordinating the activities at the European level. Nevertheless, the Directorate - General of Education and Culture continued to be very active and had a decisive role in the promotion of all the activities that were organized. These activities were not only meant to be meeting opportunities for the exchanging experience, but moreover they were to bring about debate on the dif-ferent aspects of the SCS initiative and on how to better organize joint activities.

At the beginning, these activities were limited to 2/3 coordination meetings per year, with the participation of the Directorate - General of Education and Culture, the Euro-pean coordinator and the national consultants. These meetings allowed a first sharing of experience. The national consultants had the opportunity to get to know how the other projects were being developed and shared this information with the SCSs. Subse-quently, the schools started participating at the coordination meetings.

Later on, the activities included the organization of conferences, thematic seminars, the promotion of joint projects and the organization of sports events. In particular, the follow-ing activities were programmed:


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• Launch conference 1997

• Second Pillar conference 1998

• Rome Seminar on the SCS experience 1998

• Thematic Seminars: Bilbao (profile and recruitment of teachers and pupils), Cologne (ICT), Seixal (employer partnerships)

• Sports events – Cologne, Hämeenlinna, Catania combined with Teachers’ Summits

These events and other activities promoted by The Directorate - General of Education and Culture during the pilot phase contributed to an acceptance that the EU had a role in the initiative. Second Chance Schools recognized that without the commitment of The Directorate - General of Education and Culture the initiative would not have developed a European dimension and the projects would have remained isolated form each other.

The establishment of the Association of SCSs cities was an important step forward in the promotion of Europeanism. It is this Association that now has the important and not easy task of keeping the SCS network alive, by promoting joint activities and the ex-change of teachers/tutors.

Nevertheless, these efforts have not brought about satisfactory results. The meetings, al-though good first steps, have lacked continuation and, in general, once the meeting ended, contact also finished. They lacked active participation by the schools, who often asked national consultants to represent them. Sharing experience should go beyond this practice.

Also the network, after the failure of the ISPO project for the creation of an INTRANET, is weak and future efforts are needed to reinforce it. The transfer of experience is essential for the development of a strong European dimension and the identification of critical points so as to bring about an increase of efficiency in the individual projects.

Since the SCS initiative was launched in 1997, special emphasis has been put on pro-moting the transfer of learning. The efforts and commitment of the Commission were clear. The first results are now concretely in place, although the road to build on best practice is still long. Some exchange has already taken place amongst the projects, giv-ing the schools the sense of being part of a European Initiative. The schools more open to innovation are already participating in other European projects and are so gaining fur-ther experience with new teaching methods.

During the visits to the SCSs it emerged that they worked mostly isolated from the other projects, in particular during the pilot phase. Difficulties due to insufficient funds, organ-izational problems and a lack of experience with European projects may have rendered it hard for them to actively participate in joint activities. It is here that the meetings organ-ized by The Directorate - General of Education and Culture had a significant contribu-tion. If had not been for these opportunities to get together with the other SCSs, the most troublesome projects would have remained isolated.


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During the pilot phase, each SCS was much too involved on the development and im-plementation of its own project to organize joint activities with the other schools and it was therefore important that the Directorate - General of Education and Culture took the lead. Only now, when most of the projects are well underway or have finished their first educational and training programmes, has the time come for a more active transfer of knowledge. The Second Chance Schools should now work on strengthening the network to achieve a broader impact and to gain European wide recognition. Here again the role of the Association of Cities will be fundamental.

SHARING KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

As the present study has shown, the SCS projects are all very different from each other. Each has been developed in a particular context to give an answer to a local problem. In fact, the thematic experts have encountered great differences not only in the economic, social and political context but also in the educational projects themselves. But despite the difficulties that the SCSs need to overcome, this diversity can generate a very rich exchange.

The sports events that have been organised have turned to be an excellent meeting op-portunity to establish first contact among teachers and students of the SCSs. Personal contacts are important in making communication easier in a multi-cultural and multi-lingual context. Besides, the language of sport is the same for everybody, allowing SCSs pupils to have a stimulating European experience.

The Association of Cities can now take the leadership in the identification of opportuni-ties for exchange and in the search for financial support. If the INTRANET system is re-activated, the organization of joint activities and the exchange of learning can be facili-tated.

AN EXCHANGE STRATEGY

Every SCS has some knowledge of the models that the other cities are implementing. Representatives from the SCSs have participated in meetings organized in Brussels, in the thematic seminars and in the sports events. During these activities they have had the opportunity to get to know the other projects, to learn about teaching techniques and to become familiar with some products being developed in the context of an individual ini-tiative. While participants have gathered lots of information, not enough follow-up has been given to this exchange.

This unsatisfactory result can be the consequence of a number of factors, factors not necessarily all happening at the same time and not affecting all the projects. But these factors have been present at least once and some of them are correlated to each other. Among them we could mention:

• phasing of the projects – unequal “learning curves”

• the lack of real understanding of the other projects. It is not possible to grasp a good understanding of the projects in just a few meetings when in many


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cases the participants are not even familiar with the national/local context in which the projects are being implemented;

• the participants have not necessarily been those directly involved;

• the lack of experience in European projects;

• language problems.

A good starting point to rectify this could be the organization of study visits in which school administrators and teachers get the opportunity to see on-site how other SCSs are working. Having a good comprehension of the models developed by the other SCSs can increase their interest in establishing a fruitful exchange.

BUILDING ON BEST PRACTICE

In a context of great diversity, talking of “Best Practice” may not be an appropriate ap-proach. It implies the definition of criteria that will probably prove not to be relevant for all the different environments. Comparisons in this case are not meaningful and caution is necessary when putting forward proposals of “Best Practice” since they may not be suit-able in a context different to the one it was conceived for. Each SCS project has been developed to fit into a specific environment and its success has to be evaluated in ac-cordance with the results obtained in that particular situation. Models cannot be easily “exported”. In some cases they can be modified to fit a different environment. In other cases this is not even plausible.

Nevertheless, SCSs can build on the experience of the other initiatives. It is important though to individualize topics in which the possibilities of exchange are greater and where there is a real interest coming from the SCSs.

The need for an exchange of experts and expertise between the SCSs is evident. Issues like teacher training, guidance and counselling could be a good basis for exchange.

THE ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS/ SERVICES

In those cities in which the Second Chance Schools have set up strong partnerships with local players, the role of governments/ services in promoting the introduction of change can be significant.

The participation of social workers and social centres can facilitate diffusion and in-crease participation. An ever-increasing interest in the initiative will induce policy mak-ers to revise their strategy to combat social exclusion of youths and promote a further development of the SCS scheme.

Continuity is also a main issue to be considered. Some schools are working regularly, whereas others are uncertain if they will continue to exist. After all this mobilization of re-sources and the positive and encouraging results that some schools have obtained, it


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will be unfortunate if the initiatives do not go beyond the pilot phase. To help keep alive the SCS scheme, the EC could promote the participation of SCSs in other initiatives, like Connect, in which the Schools have demonstrated great interest. Three very interesting projects have been co-financed within the Connect Initiative: European Association of Cities for Second Chance Schools, SNOW – Simulation for New Opportunities of Work and Carte a Puce. The sharing of experience with projects that implement very innovative teaching approaches aimed at the same target group as the SCSs can only reinforce the effects of the initiative as a tool to combat youth social exclusion. In the case of the SNOW project, the Marseilles SCS is participating and its experience could be very useful to other SCSs. These kinds of experiences need to be shared with the other SCSs projects so as to broaden the impact of the whole scheme and promote its recognition at a European level.


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CHAPTER 8: SECOND CHANCE FOR SECOND CHANCE SCHOOLS

MAINSTREAMING THE PILOT-PHASE

Pilot projects and pilot-phases are successful if policy-makers and experts are able to and display enough will to take advantage of their positive results and experiences and use these for future long-term political concepts and implementation. Main-streaming the output of innovative projects to suit commonly defined needs is what this process is called.

Although the SCS had to face a controversial climate when they were first proposed, they are now gaining acceptance and their prospects are much more encouraging. The need for reform in education and training systems, especially to achieve a reduc-tion in the number of dropouts, has been stated quiet a lot during the past years in the Member States as well as at the European Level. The European Council Summit of March 2000 in Lisbon went a step further in concluding that investment in educa-tion and training is a top priority policy: prevention (education and training) responds clearly to sound financial management criteria, more so than repairing measures do (labour market and social policy). Since Lisbon, the Second Chance School, some-times the subject of heated and controversial discussion, has gained its political role and its innovative value is recognized.

SCS experiences, results and output provide the ground for the future common edu-cation and training actions against exclusion at a European level, actions facilitated by the establishment of the new “open co-ordination method” as agreed in Lisbon. The implementation of the strategic goal to reduce school failure and the number of dropout youths will be undertaken by spreading best practice models and striving for greater convergence towards the main EU goals. This method, which has been de-signed to support Member States to progressively develop their own policies, in-cludes the following activities:

• fixing guidelines for the Union combined with specific timetables for achiev-ing the goals which they set in the short, medium and long terms,

• establishing, where appropriate, quantitative and qualitative indicators and benchmarks against the best in the world and tailored to the needs of dif-ferent Member States and sectors as a means of comparing best practice,

• translating these European guidelines into national and regional policies by setting specific targets and adopting measures, taking into account national and regional differences,

• periodic monitoring, evaluation and peer review organized as mutual learn-ing processes.

The defined decentralized approach will be applied in line with the principle of sub-sidiary and involve, besides the responsible Ministries for Education and Training of the Member States, the regional and local level, social partners, companies and NGOs.


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ALONG THE EUROPEAN CHALLENGES

The European Commission has adopted the European Employment Strategy, in exis-tence since 1997. The proposed Employment Guidelines for 2001 adopted the Lis-bon outcome and refers to the need of reducing the phenomenon of social exclusion.

Guideline No 4 states the need to improve the Member States’ education and training systems, with the aim to eradicate illiteracy and substantially reduce the number of young people who drop out of the school system early. The particular focus is to set up the appropriate support for young people with learning difficulties: to reduce by half the number of 18 to 24 years old with lower-secondary level education until 2010.

Social inclusion should – as mentioned in Guideline 8 – be guaranteed through the development of pathways consisting of effective and active policy measures to pro-mote the vocational integration of those groups and individuals who are at risk or dis-advantaged. And furthermore, the local dimension of employment and vocational in-tegration has been taken on in the political employment agenda.

MULTIPLYING SCS EXPERIENCE

Likewise, the significant rise of Accelerated Schools of all different forms in the United States after the end of their pilot period, has opened the door in Europe for setting up all kinds of projects and initiatives applying the SCS’s main principles. The political willingness is stated, the need within the EU and the Accession Countries obvious and the money is available.

The EU has a number of financing opportunities, which aim at the target group of the SCS. The Structural Funds have been reformed to address the new challenges. This applies especially to the European Social Funds and the Community Initiative EQUAL. In fact, they focus better on preventing social exclusion and guaranteeing equal access to Training and Employment.

The new Grundvig action of the EU Education programme SOCRATES as well as LEONARDO da Vinci (Vocational Training) support new approaches and methods, ones which allow young persons an entry back into life long learning. These pro-grammes promote, as one priority, the exchange and further distribution of new con-cepts and experiences to all those players involved in attaining the goals set out in Lisbon for the next ten years.

LOOKING AT THE FUTURE

Continuity is a main issue to be considered. Some schools are working regularly but others are uncertain if they will continue to exist. After all this mobilization of re-sources and the positive and encouraging results that some schools have obtained, it will be unfortunate if the initiatives do not go beyond the pilot phase. To help keep the SCS scheme alive, the Association of Cities of Second Chance Schools could pro-mote the participation of SCS in initiatives such as Connect, an initiative for which the Schools have demonstrated great interest. In fact, the EC has co-financed three very


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interesting projects within the Connect Initiative: European Association of Cities for Second Chance Schools, SNOW – Simulation for New Opportunities of Work and Carte a Puce. Now that the political climate is favourable and the EC has put into place a number of financial instruments that can be accessed by SCSs the future looks very encouraging.

The CONNECT-project of the “European Association of Cities for Second Chance Schools” consists of two parts. Firstly, the setting up of a full-service secretariat for the European Association. Secondly, a methodology-transfer programme for Second Chance Schools.

Within the CONNECT framework a start will be made with the exchange of method-ology and best practices concerning three specific themes: life skills (health), social skills (Goldstein training) and guidance into the field of work (instructors training). In coming EU programmes, other parts of the methodology approaches and concepts of restraining countries will be exchanged. These three parts will be gathered in a handbook for Second Chance Schools in Europe. The handbook will be developed as a loose-leaf book that will be supplemented with the subjects to be developed within coming EU programmes. The final goal is to develop a common European framework for Second Chance Schools.

In the case of the SNOW project, the SCSs of Marseilles and Heerlen are participat-ing with other training institutions in Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. The participa-tion of these SCSs in the SNOW network could be very useful to other SCSs. The main project aim is to experiment with the simulated enterprises methodologies so as to narrow the gap between training and the world of work. These kinds of experi-ences need to be shared with the other SCS projects to broaden the impact of the whole scheme and to promote its recognition at the European level. The sharing of experience with projects that implement very innovative teaching approaches aimed at the same target group as the SCS can only reinforce the effects of the initiative as a tool to combat youth social exclusion.

Finally it can be said that it was a good chance for the Second Chance Schools to be implemented as a pilot project with an European dimension. But it is important to enlarge the network and to give the schools these opportunities as well in the future.

Documents

A Summary Report on the evaluation of the European Pilot Schools