ALS First Activity

Prepared by:

LEONOR M. BAGNOS
(Student)

Alternative Learning System

(Educ 230)
02-00 – 05:00 P.M
March 12, 2021

Ms. Delia Sumeg-ang

(Professor)
 A Comprehensive Report on the Concepts, Principles and Theories of
Alternative Learning System (ALS)

The Alternative Learning System (ALS) is a “parallel learning system in the

Philippines that offers a practical option to the existing formal instruction”. It is a parallel
learning system in the Philippines that provides a practical option to the existing formal
instruction. When one does not have or cannot access formal education in schools, ALS is
an alternate or substitute. ALS includes both the non-formal and informal sources of
knowledge and skills.
The ALS is a ladderized, modular non-formal education program in the Philippines
for dropouts in elementary and secondary schools, out-of-school youths, non-readers,
working Filipinos and even senior citizens. It is part of the education system of the
Philippines but an alternative to the regular classroom studies where Filipino students are
required to attend daily. The alternative system only requires students to choose
schedules according to their choice and availability.
According to the Bureau of Alternative Learning system (BALS), ALS vision is
“empowerment of the Filipino with desirable knowledge, attitudes, values and skills that
will enable him to think critically and creatively, act innovatively and humanely in
improving the quality of his life and that of his family, community and country.”
“It is envisioned that every Filipino will be awakened, empowered and transformed
into a productive, self-reliant, responsible, humane and upright citizen who can
contribute to the betterment of the family, community and country. It is also envisaged
that ALS will help alleviate poverty and sustain social and economic growth via the
development of employable skills and the generation of self-employment.”
Many Filipinos do not have a chance to attend and finish formal basic education
(Grades 1-6 and Year 1-4) due to many reasons. Some drop out from schools while some
do not have schools in their communities. Since every Filipino has a right to free basic
education, the Government establishes ALS to provide all Filipinos the chance to have
access to and complete basic education in a mode that fits their distinct situations and
needs.
 The 1987 Philippine Constitution provides for the recognition and promotion of
other forms of education other than formal education. Article XIV, Section 2, Paragraph
(1) declares that the State shall establish, maintain and support a complete, adequate and
integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society; and
paragraph (4) concisely encourages non-formal, informal and indigenous learning systems
as well as self-learning, independent and out-of-school study programs particularly those
that respond to community needs. The Governance Act for Basic Education otherwise
known as the Republic Act 9155 stipulates the establishment of the Alternative Learning
System (ALS) to provide out-of-school children, youth and adults population with basic
education.
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. This
means that learning can take place anytime and any place, depending on the convenience
and availability of the learners. The Basic Literacy Program, “which aims to eradicate
illiteracy among out-of-school youths and adults by teaching basic literacy and numeracy.
The other is the Continuing Education Program – Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E),
targets people who are functionally literate but did not complete basic education. The
latter also offers programs at both the primary and secondary school levels.” Both
programs are modular and flexible. This means that learning can happen anytime in any
place, depending on the convenience and availability of the learners.
ALS aims to open more educational opportunities for Filipino citizens of different
interests, capabilities of demographic characteristics, socioeconomic origins and status as
well as addressing the needs of marginalized groups. The program cuts the time needed to
finish high school, hence, significantly cuts the expenses as well. Aside from giving hope
to the less fortunate, it also provides opportunities to out of School Youths (OSY) and
adults elementary and secondary school drop-outs; industry-based workers; housewives;
maids; factory workers; drivers; members of cultural minorities; indigenous people and
the disabled/physically challenged.

Underlying Concepts and Theories of ALS:

1. Learning to learn focuses in a combination of a broad general knowledge with the
opportunity to work-in-depth on a small number of subjects.
2. Learning to do pertains to the acquisition not only of an occupational skill but also,
more broadly, the competence to deal with many situations and work in teams.
3. Learning to live together deals on the development of an understanding of other people
and appreciation of interdependence in a spirit of respect for the values of pluralism,
mutual understanding and peace.
4. Learning to be is the development of one’s personality and ability to act with ever
greater autonomy, judgment, and personal responsibility.

ALS Pioneer:
1. Paulo Freire used “problem-posing” methods to raise awareness of social issues
and to stimulate action by disadvantaged groups. Using a process of problem analysis,
reflection, and action, his approach to education was based on the belief that community
members need to be encouraged to think critically about problems in their daily lives in
order to make decisions and take action.
2. Howard Gardner. Gardner’s work on multiple intelligences has had an enormous
impact on the field of education. Gardner posits at least seven intelligences (musical,
spatial, linguistic, logical/mathematical, bodily/kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal),
and asserts that successful learning experiences should engage as many of these
intelligences as possible.
3. Malcolm Knowles. Knowles popularized adult learning theory and offered ways to
apply it in learning activities. Knowles believed that the needs of adults in education
differed a great deal from the needs of children. He popularized he term andragogy, “the
art and science of helping adults learn” to draw a sharp distinction between adult earning
and pedagogy, the instruction of children. He suggested that because children had yet to
assume responsible, independent roles in society, teachers and parents tend to make the
decisions about what and ow they should learn. But because adults have a wealth of life
experience and have already assumed responsible roles, it is important to respect slightly
different principles when engaging in adult education.
4. David Kolb. Kolb popularized an awareness of learning styles, and created a
model that suggests four different categories of learning—concrete experimentation,
reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. Kolb
created a methodology for incorporating these four categories into every learning
experience—the “experiential learning cycle.”
5. Bernice McCarthy. McCarthy expanded on Kolb’s work and the research on left
and right brain processes to create her 4MAT System. McCarthy suggested four learning
types: imaginative learners, analytic learners, common sense learners, and dynamic
learners.
Specifically, ALS follows and implement the following Principles/Concepts and
Theories
✓ Expect to be treated with respect and recognition.
 ✓ Want practical solutions to real life problems.
✓ Can reflect on and analyze individual experiences.
✓ Have different learning styles.
✓ Are motivated by the possibility of fulfilling personal needs and aspirations.
✓ Are capable of making their own decisions and taking charge of their ownlearning.

The Historical Context of Alternative Learning System in the Philippines

Teachers that are involved in this program before are called “Mobile Teachers” for reasons
that they often go about teaching in rural and depressed areas where a formal classroom
is not available.

NFE HISTORY
• Act. No. 1829 provided for the giving of civico educational lectures in towns and
barrios.
• May 21, 1908 Nonformal Education started in the Philippines as a civic movement.
• On Dec.4,1914 the act was amended by Act. No. 2424 making public school
teachers in charge of conducting lectures.
• Commonwealth Act. No. 80 was passed in 1936 creating the office of Adult
Education under the Department of Instruction.
• Exec. Order No. 94, dated October 4,1947 converted the office of Adult Education
into Adult and Community Education Division under the Bureau of Public Schools.
• Provisions of the 1973 Philippine Constitution which have relevance to nonformal
Education:
✓ Article II Sec. 4. The State shall strengthen the family as basic social
institution. The natural right and duty of parents in rearing the youth for
civic efficiency and the development of moral character shall receive the aid
support of the government.
✓ Article II Sec. 5. The State shall recognize the vital role of the youth in
nation-building and shall promote their physical, intellectual and social well-
being.
• Presidential Decree No.1139 which took effect on May 13,1977 created the position
of Undersecretary for Nonformal Educ. Who has the overall responsibility for the
nonformal educ. programs of the department
• The Office of Nonformal Education became a fully staffed Bureau by virtue of Batas
Pambansa 232, otherwise known as Educ. Act f 1982. This law created the Bureau
of Continuing Education.
• The 1986 Phil. Constitution Article XIV Sec.2 gives special focus to nonformal
education, “The state shall encourage nonformal, informal and indigenous learning
systems as well as self-learning, independent and out-of-school study programs
particularly those that respond to community needs, and provide adult citizens, the
disabled, and out-of-school youth with training in civics efficiency and other skills."
• The Office of Nonformal Education became a fully staffed Bureau by virtue of Batas
Pambansa 232, otherwise known as Educ. Act f 1982. This law created the Bureau
of Continuing Education.
• The 1986 Phil. Constitution Article XIV Sec.2 gives special focus to nonformal
education, “The state shall encourage nonformal, informal and indigenous learning
systems as well as self-learning, independent and out-of-school study programs
particularly those that respond to community needs, and provide adult citizens, the
disabled, and out-of-school youth with training in civics efficiency and other skills."
• Exec. Order No. 117 Sec. 15 , s. 1987 spells out the Reorganization of the Ministry
of Education, Culture and Sports to redefine the mandate, powers and functions
and for the other purposes, provided among others, renaming of Continuing
Education as the Bureau of Nonformal Education.
• Executive Order No. 356
Renaming the Bureau of Nonformal Education to Bureau of Alternative Learning
System (BALS)
✓ WHEREAS, it is declared 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.” (Sec. 2 of R.A. 9155, The
Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001.)
✓ WHEREAS, Section 12.1 Rules XII of R.A. 9155 stipulates that, "the
alternative Learning System is a parallel learning system to provide a viable
alternative to the existing formal education instruction, encompassing both
the nonformal and informal sources of knowledge and skills."
✓ WHEREAS, the Dept. of Education, through the Bureau of Nonformal
Education, is mandated to ensure that all learning needs of marginalized
learners are addressed.
✓ WHEREAS, one of the most important initiatives in Nonformal Education in
the Philippines in the last 10 years is the Alternative Learning System (ALS),
which is a major component of basic education with a clearly defined role
within the overall educational goals.
 ✓ WHEREAS, the ALS will respond to the need of a more systematic and
flexible approach in reaching to all types of learners outside the school
system.
✓ By the power vested upon Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo did hereby order:
• Section 1. The Bureau of Nonformal Education is hereby renamed to Bureau of
Alternative Learning System (BALS)

The International Perspective of ALS

The original version of NFEhttp://www.digital-review.org/themes/46.html emerged
in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Coombs (1968) and Coombs and Ahmed (1974) defined
NFE as an alternative form of education for adults and children that occurred outside of
the traditional classroom environment. The need for NFE arose in the context of the
widespread disillusionment with formal schooling in the 1970s (Illich1973). NFE was then
seen as a panacea for the ills of education in developed and developing countries
(Freire1972), and Aid agencies made substantial investments in NFE from the late 1960s
to the 1980s.
The 1990s witnessed a growing ambivalence toward NFE programs as they became
associated with second rate educational programs catering to the needs of poor and
marginalized groups. Because accreditation frameworks were weak or non-existent in
most countries, NFE students suffered a disadvantage vis-àvis those from the formal
education stream in either not being certified or in not getting absorbed in the job market.
More recently, NFE has undergone a resurgence in developing countries because of
the realization that formal schooling, in its present form has limited reach. Furthermore,
it is now recognized that the educational needs of young people and adults are varied and
should be addressed through suitable programs. In developed countries, NFE has
assumed importance in the context of lifelong learning, which sees learning as taking
place not only in schools and colleges, but throughout the lifespan, in many different
locations and times and in formal, non-formal, and informal modes.
The current emphasis on creating ‘knowledge-based societies has made ‘learning’
throughout life more important, which in turn requires an education system to have
greater flexibility to enable learners to enter and leave the system at different points.
Thus, accreditation and equivalency and other synergies between the formal and the non-
formal learning sectors have become essential. Moreover, a wide range of education
providers, including universities, NGOs, government agencies, and the private sector,
needs to be involved, particularly because learners, who have diverse learning styles,
would need different kinds of skills from formal, non-formal, informal, and distance and
open learning institutions.
 A joint research project undertaken by member institutions of the Asia Pacific
Programme of Education for All (APPEAL) Resource and Training Consortium (ARTC) to
document and disseminate innovative approaches to NFE and lifelong learning in the
region classifies NFE innovations in the region under three broad categories
(UNESCO2002):

The three Broad Categories of International Perspective:

A. Functional literacy and adult education for poverty alleviation, as illustrated by
case studies from Bangladesh and China. The Bangladesh case study with contributions
from16 NGOs gives considerable attention to linking literacy with economic activities. On
the other hand, the study from China highlights that inter-sectoral coordination is critical
for lifelong learning and also for linking education with poverty alleviation.
B. Non-formal education for sustainable development, as in case studies from
India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand. The Indian study focuses on the
importance of linking NFE programs to demand from the local community and developing
locally relevant curricula. In the Indonesian and Philippines case studies, it is the
equivalency of the NFE program with the formal educational system that forms the basis
for sustainable development, viewed as lifelong learning linked to economic improvement.
The case study from Thailand demonstrates an effective approach to sustainable
development through building the capacity of the rural population for community-based
action in marketing.
C. NFE as lifelong learning, as in case studies from Australia, Malaysia, and South
Korea. The Australian case study highlights an innovative education program that
enabled farmers in Queensland to assess their current situation and improve their
confidence in their own ability to make strategic choices, resulting in a better quality of
life, more profitable farming, and improvements in the management of land and other
natural resources. The Malaysian case study focuses on the effectiveness of a lifelong
learning project for capacity-building among rural youth and adults through a massive
computer literacy training program. The South Korean case study describes the Cred
Banking System (CBS), an open education system that recognizes diverse learning
experiences not only in school but also out of school. Thus, when a student accumulates
the requisite CBS-approved credits, she or he can obtain an associate or bachelor’s
degree. Thus, CBS provides citizens with greater access to various educational
opportunities and fosters lifelong learning.

Other International Perspective of Non- Formal Education

1. Non-formal education promises to be a more effective approach to relating education to
national development.”
2. Non-formal approaches offer education that is functional and practical, i.e., related to
the life-needs of the people.
3.Non-formal education seeks to maintain a benefit/cost consciousness of what it does in
order to provide the most effective and purposeful consequences with the most efficiency.”
4. Non-formal education is the inherent commitment to seek innovative means to achieve
the goals.”
5. Non-formal education offers a more eclectic, multi-disciplinary approach to the problem
of development in a country.
6. Non-formal education promises to produce short-term effects as well as long-term
achievements.”
7. Non-formal education assists in the decision-making of educational and development
funding agencies on both a national and international level.”

The Philippine Perspective on Non- Formal Education:

The Philippine Education for All (EFA)2015 is a vision and a holistic program of
reforms that aims at improving the quality of basic education for every Filipino by 2015.
In 1990, there was a World Declaration on Education for All (EFA) in Jomtiem,
Thailand, which prescribed that Basic Learning Needs shall be met for all by various
means. As a response, the Philippines crafted and implemented the 10-year EFA
Philippine Plan of Action covering 1991-2000. The EFA plan articulated the country’s
national goals, objectives, policies and strategies, as well as the regional programs for
implementation for the first decade of the EFA movement. Under the 1991-2000Plan (EFA
1), the thrusts included:
A. Early Childhood Development
• Expansion of self-sustaining community-based ECCD
• Use of innovative approaches to parent education
• Promotion of preparatory education
• Accreditation of private pre-school programs and institutions
• Differentiated approaches for special categories of children
• Strengthening of health, nutrition and other allied services
• Socio-cultural adaptation of curriculum, materials and approaches
• Single agency to coordinate programs for ECCD
B. Universalization of Quality Primary Education
• Enhancing the holding power or student retention of schools
• Using alternative teaching-learning delivery modes
• Strengthening home-school partnership
 • Emphasis on higher-level thinking skills
• Upgrading teacher competencies
C. Alternative Learning Systems
• Eradication of illiteracy in selected areas
• Promotion of continuing education and development
• Implementation of integrated programs
In 2000, the Philippines, as a reaffirmation of the vision set in the 1990 World
Declaration, committed itself to the 6 EFA 2015 Goals at the World Education Forum in
Dakar. Based on the Dakar Framework for Action, the country came up with the
Philippine EFA 2015 National Action Plan entitled “Functionally Literate Filipinos, An
Educated Nation.”
Though the government officially approved the Philippine EFA 2015 Plan only in2006,
it was already used by the DepEd as its overall planning and policy framework as early as
2003 and was already integrated in the formulation and updating of the MTPDP 2001-04
and 2005-2010.
The 2006 Philippine EFA National Action Plan was designed with the end goal of
achieving functional literacy for everyone. To achieve this goal the plan incorporates ALS-
related commitments such as thefollowing:
1. Develop and strengthen BALS and mandate it to serve as the government agency to
guide the development of the country’s ALS.
2. Make available public funds for ALS programs of GOs and NGOs subject to the
guidelines of BALS.
3. Build and develop a constituency for ALS development.
4. Conduct research and studies to test cost-effective options for delivering quality
ALS.
5. Undertake an inventory of available resources in localities for literacy interventions
outside the school system.6. Ensure a vigorous and credible system for reliably assessing,
measuring, validating and communicating competencies acquired through NFE and
informal education.
The EFA 2015 plan established the crucial role of BALS as steward in the still
developing discourse on ALS. Several systemic improvements were prioritized in order to
facilitate the fulfillment of that mandate.
The EFA 2015 Plan emphasizes the need to provide basic education for all and add a
dimension to what has been thus far almost exclusively school-based education. It points
to an “urgent need to respond to the learning needs of youth and adults that are either
have never been to school, have dropped out, reverted to illiteracy, or need basic or
advanced skills to find jobs.” It suggests a “viable alternative learning system” to formal
schooling that together with the schools can ensure that “minimum learning achievement
will be a reality for all Filipinos.” Thus, the EFA 2015Plan emphasizes that educational
opportunities are channels of learning which can become effective conduits of values
orientation, consciousness and information useful and relevant toa wide range of social
goals.
Reference

Alternative Education. Retrieved from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_education

Alternative Learning System. Retrieved from http://www.deped.gov.ph/k-to-

12/inclusiveeducation/alternative-learning-system/

Alternative Learning System by Phoebe W. Taruc, Mission, Vision, EFA goals, Underlying
Concept and Theory of ALS. Retrieved from
https://www.slideshare.net/jeph_elisha/report-on-alternative-learning-system-by-
phoebe-w-taruc

Annual report 2002: UNESCO Institute for Education. Retrieved from

https://uil.unesco.org/annual-report-2002-unesco-institute-education

World Bank Study Indicates Low Success Rate of DepEd’s Alternative Learning Program.
Retrieved from https://www.pids.gov.ph/press-releases/402

EFA Global Monitoring Report 2002. Education for All. Is the World On track?
Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/gem-report/report/2002/education-all-
world-track