Alternative Learning System: Providing Educational Opportunities in the Philippines

The Alternative Learning System (ALS) in the Philippines serves as a parallel education program, offering a practical alternative to traditional formal schooling. It caters to individuals who cannot access or have not completed formal education, providing them with a second chance to gain essential knowledge and skills.

Introduction to ALS

The Alternative Learning System (ALS) is a free education program implemented by the Department of Education (DepEd) under the Bureau of Alternative Learning System which benefits those who cannot afford formal schooling and follows whatever is their available schedule. The ALS is a way for the informal and busy students to achieve elementary and high school education without need of going to attend classroom instructions on a daily basis just like the formal education system. Secondary education has now become a prerequisite in vocational technology and college education in the Philippines.

Legal Mandate and Policy

The program is rooted in the State policy "to protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality basic education and to promote the right of all citizens to quality basic education and such education accessible to all by providing all Filipino children in the elementary level and free education in the high school level. Such education shall also include alternative learning system for out-of school youth and adult learners.” (Section 2 of PA). The 1987 Philippine Constitution also recognizes and promotes forms of education beyond the traditional classroom setting. The ALS program was launched by the Department of Education in 2004. It was institutionalized on December 23, 2020, through Republic Act No.

Target Beneficiaries

This program is seen to benefit mostly those that cannot fit into the formal school system like people with special needs, indigenous peoples, out-of-school children and youth, and adult learners who wish to complete the elementary and junior high school levels. We aim to prioritize learners that live below the poverty line, predominantly coming from depressed, disadvantaged, and underserved communities.

ALS Program Components

There are two major programs on ALS that are being implemented by the Department of Education, through the Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS). One is the Basic Literacy Program and the other is the Continuing Education Program - Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E). Both programs are modular and flexible.

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Basic Literacy Program

This program focuses on individuals with limited or no literacy skills, providing them with foundational knowledge in reading, writing, and numeracy.

Continuing Education Program - Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E)

The Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Program is a program aimed at providing an alternative pathway of learning for out-of-school children, youth and adults who are basically literate but who have not completed the 10 years of basic education mandated by the Philippine Constitution. This program allows learners to earn elementary and secondary education equivalency certificates by passing the A&E test.

Accreditation and Equivalency Test (AET)

After several months, the students will take the Accreditation and Equivalency Test (AET). It is a paper and pencil-based test, using multiple choice and composition writing. A first year high school dropout, boxing champion, Manny Pacquiao took and passed the (AET) under the ALS program. He was presented a high school diploma, making eligible to pursue college. He was then named as the DepEd’s Ambassador for the ALS and People’s Champ for Education.

ALS Curriculum

The ALS Curriculum reflects the set of knowledge skills and competencies that learners should develop to meet the minimum requirements of basic education. It is comparable to the formal school curriculum. The ALS program follows a uniform lesson modules for all academic subjects covering the sciences, mathematics, English, Filipino, social studies, current events among others. Aside from schematics, the program has two levels: elementary and secondary. Students have to start from elementary level, then proceed to high school level.

ALS Admission Process

Aspiring learners must go to the ALS Learning Center along with their requirements. This is a leveling exam that will assist the IM in assessing the learner’s suitable level whether it be Basic Literacy, Elementary or Junior High. Once the level is identified, the learner will be expected to comply with all the requirements of the ALS program that comprises the modules completion, portfolio content compliance, Revalida completion and A&E review. When all requirements have been complied with, the learner will be issued a Certificate of Program Completion, and will be registered for the ALS Accreditation & Equivalency examination. After passing the ALS A&E, the learner will be provided with a Diploma, a Certificate of Rating of CoR, an AF5 form which is equivalent to DepEd’s Form 137 record. The learner can choose to attend or not attend the commencement exercises organized by the DepEd division they belong to.

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Implementation and Modality

The ALS evolved from the non-formal education that has been conducted by the government of the Philippines. Previously, non-formal education was mostly concentrated in instructions in livelihood skills training with basic reading and writing incorporated in the module. Under the current system, skills training and livelihood training have been excluded and established as a separate education system. The ALS Programs are carried out by ALS Mobile Teachers and District ALS Coordinators in the 17 regions of the country. The District ALS Coordinators are primarily designated to harmonize ALS initiatives in a district. The learning facilitator (Facilitator, Instructional Manager, ALS Mobile Teacher, District ALS Coordinator) goes to a sitio or barangay with Functional Literacy Test and a set of learning materials to conduct learning sessions until such time that the learners have become literate before going to another sitio or barangay. Learning sessions take place at the Community Learning Center or at any place convenient to the learners.

Modular and Flexible Learning

ALS is a module-based learning system, students come in on a set time and choose a module to read. A quiz is given after each module to test their learning. Instead of teachers, facilitators are always present to answer any questions and sometimes lecturers would discuss a certain module. Both programs are modular and flexible. The ALS utilizes learning modules. Each module is complete in itself. It contains the description of the module, objectives, learning activities, and pre and post tests. Modules for the basic and lower elementary level learners come with a Facilitator’s Guide. Supplementary materials are important in the conduct of ALS learning sessions. Additional materials make learning sessions more effective by reinforcing newly acquired literacy skills. They also serve as springboards to a new lesson, thus, making learning more fun and interesting.

School-Based and Community-Based Programs

The ALS program has two different schematics for conducting instruction: school-based and community-based. On the school-based program, instructions are conducted in school campuses while in the community-based program, formal instruction are conducted in community halls or on private places.

ALS Learning Materials and Assessment

The potential learner in the ALS goes through a screening process to determine whatever prior learning that he/she may have through the Functional Literacy Test (FLT). The FLT is composed of five (5) parts.

Other ALS Programs

BALS has developed Informal Education courses that include self-interest and life experiences programs. Initially, it has already developed a special curriculum for indigenous peoples (IPs). The Indigenous Peoples Education is a research and development project which aims to provide basic education support services to IP communities. This is initially implemented at the tribal communities in Dumalneg, Ilocos Norte, Gen. The Adolescent Reproductive Health is a project for out-of-school adolescents ages 9-24 years old. The Radio-Based Instruction (RBI) Program is an alternative learning delivery mode using radio broadcast to deliver the ALS programs. As a form of distance learning, it is able to expand access to education by bringing it to where the learners are. This program focuses on packaging of short-term educational activity that addresses the special needs and interests of the street and working children. It intends to use life skills active learning approaches/strategies aimed at developing/enhancing social, civic, aesthetic, cultural, recreational physical and personal development.

Impact and Significance

ALS is an education system supporting people who, for various reasons, have not received a minimum-desired level of formal education. In the last three years, the Department of Education reported that, on average, 130,000 learners passed this exam annually, a big jump from 58,000 passing per year between 2005 and 2015. Our previous study found that those who passed earned approximately PHP 7,400 (US$148) - or roughly 50% more monthly, compared with the average among high school dropouts.

Challenges and the ALS 2.0 Roadmap

One key challenge is the shortage of fundamental inputs. There were not enough ALS learning materials in the field to enable effective modular-based learning both at home and in face-to-face sessions. Operational funds provided to mobile teachers were not enough to cover the full costs for teaching aids, additional learning materials, and transportation to visit learners. Typical learning environments for ALS, such as open-air space under a tree or simple structures made by light materials such as palm tree leaves and bamboos, do not adequately keep adult learners focused on learning. And the teaching force for ALS has come up short both in quantity and quality. Most importantly, ALS’ system components, designed a few decades ago, need a comprehensive upgrade. The Department of Education has recognized these challenges. In 2019, with assistance from the World Bank, it developed a new strategic roadmap for the reform program. Known as “ALS 2.0,” it’s an opportunity to fix long-standing issues, as well as a chance to ensure that these reforms receive adequate resources and support. And this agenda is more important than ever, as COVID-19 disrupts the Philippines’ basic education system. The first priority must be to provide continuing learning opportunities for students and prevent them from dropping out of school. However, a stronger ALS can give those who leave the formal school system an extremely important second chance.

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