The Benefits and Challenges of After-School Programmes in All-Day Schools at Lower Secondary Level from the Perspective of Young People

Extended Education became more important in the canton of Basel-city in 2015, when the model of all-day school was introduced in the secondary level and has since become established. Compared to other models of all-day schools in Switzerland, this leisure time model is the only one that is designed to be voluntary. The German-speaking professional discourse is characterized on the one hand by fears that leisure time will be turned into time spent at school and on the other hand by the additional educational value that is supposed the increase in educational value that should be provided by the offer of all-day school. From the perspective of child and youth research, it is central to obtain the perspective of the users of these offers, so that possible gaps in the educational discourse can be closed. This article is based on the theoretical framework of socio-educational user research and investigates the following questions using qualitative empirical methods: What benefits do pupils see in the leisure time activities offered at all-day schools at lower secondary level in Basel, what conditions promote or limit these benefits, and how do pupils use these activities? The central part of the article provides insight into the main results of the study and discusses them against the background of the theoretical discussion and the state of international research. Finally, the article points out additional perspectives on the topic and approaches to conducting research on all-day schools. Greater attention must be paid to the user perspective for the optimization and further development of leisure time activities offered at all-day schools at secondary level.