The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) last week noted a high dropout rate in the Alternative Learning System (ALS) of the Department of Education, with only 46 percent of the total enrolled students completing the nontraditional course, which indicates that challenges remain in making education more accessible to the disadvantaged.
Fifty-four percent of ALS learners were unable to finish school year 2023-24, mainly due to socioeconomic factors such as lack of financial support, the need to work, lack of interest, vices, marriage, and bullying.
The dismal completion rate is just one of the challenges hounding the program for out of school youth and adults since it was enacted in 2020. The program has also failed to reach a significant number of its target, as only 224,885 students are currently enrolled in the program, or a mere 9 percent of the target population.
The failure to get more learners to an alternative education also stems from funding constraints, as current legislations “complicate” the proper implementation of ALS and “restricts the allocation of necessary resources” at the local government level, EDCOM said.
It also noted the lack of professional development training tailored to the needs of ALS teachers, the majority of whom are DepEd mobile teachers, district coordinators, and volunteers.
There are currently two programs under ALS: basic literacy, which aims to develop or enhance the reading, writing, and numeracy skills of out of school youth; and accreditation and equivalency (A&E), which provides an opportunity for those who already have basic skills but were unable to complete education in formal schooling. Most ALS enrollees are in the secondary level of A&E.
The poor metrics underscore the challenges of making alternative learning work, especially for its beneficiaries who are already disadvantaged by having missed out or dropped out of formal schooling. Making it accessible and feasible to those who are still willing, or simply need to continue their education will be difficult but that is what the DepEd has to face if it is serious in its mission of protecting and promoting the right of every Filipino to quality, equitable, culture-based, and complete basic education.*
