To derive or to drift? Youth in transition between secondary education institutes and second chance schools

Abstract

This article describes the transition of young people to Second Chance Schools (SCS), their profiles, educational trajectories, and the role of the educational agents involved in these processes. The aim of the study is to understand how transitions between educational institutions and their underlying logics are articulated, as well as the coordination and supposed bidirectionality between secondary education institutes (SEIs) and SCSs. Using a qualitative approach and agent triangulation, a total of 24 interviews with SCS directors and nine interviews with SEI tutors or counsellors were analysed through the Maxqda software. These were complemented by six focus groups with 47 educators and six focus groups with 56 young people from 24 SCSs. The results highlight different perspectives among educational agents regarding these young people: SEI teachers tend to focus more on individual factors such as demotivation, disruption, and conflict, whereas SCS professionals adopt a more holistic and comprehensive view of the young person, incorporating reflections on their social conditions. It was found that a logic of coordination between institutions does not always prevail; in some cases, SEIs adopt a logic of referral and externalisation. Lastly, some unintended effects of educational policies and regional disparities in their implementation are identified, offering elements for reflection.

Keywords: Dropout, unqualified young people, secondary education, educational transitions, Second Chance School.