Alternative and Second Chance Education

Although alternative education and second chance education are frequently collapsed into one category, they are different in a number of significant ways and could rightly be separated into two distinct categories. Alternative education is defined by nontraditional approaches to learning and teaching that are seen to enrich the experiences of students. It is frequently based on philosophical, political, and psychological theories and/or practices about the role of education in society, the development of democratic citizens, and/or the creation of rich and developmentally appropriate contexts for learning. Second chance education is typically defined by the type of participant: usually young people who have been pushed out of mainstream schooling or who have otherwise disengaged from schools. It is offered as a pathway for completing a high ...