DepEd Alternative Learning System (ALS): Programs, Curriculum, and A&E Tests

The Alternative Learning System (ALS) is DepEd’s parallel learning system for Filipinos who cannot attend or finish formal schooling. It offers a practical alternative to classroom instruction and covers both nonformal and informal sources of knowledge and skills. This guide explains who ALS serves, its legal bases, programs, curriculum, learning modes, and how its Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) tests lead to elementary and secondary certificates.

The figures on this page come from DepEd and survey reports covering 2005 to 2016. They show the system’s scale and history and may not reflect current numbers.

On this page 14 sections

What is the DepEd Alternative Learning System?

ALS is an alternative, or substitute, for people who do not have or cannot access formal education in schools. It recognizes learning that happens outside the classroom and gives learners a path to certification comparable to formal elementary and secondary education.

Legal bases of ALS

• 1987 Philippine Constitution. It recognizes and promotes forms of education other than formal education. Article XIV, Section 2, Paragraph (1) says the State shall establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society. Paragraph (4) encourages nonformal, informal, and indigenous learning systems, as well as self-learning, independent, and out-of-school study programs, especially those that respond to community needs.
• Republic Act 9155 (Governance of Basic Education Act). It requires DepEd to provide nonformal and informal education to out-of-school children, youth, and adults through the Alternative Learning System.

Who ALS is for

Target learners

• Elementary and secondary school leavers
• Out-of-school children, 6 to 14 years old
• Out-of-school youth, 15 to 24 years old
• Out-of-school adults, 25 years old and above
• Anyone who has not completed 12 years of basic education

In special cases, ALS also serves out-of-school children 11 years old and below.

Last mile learners

Last mile learners are those who remain unreached even after various efforts to reach them. DepEd serves them through ALS and Alternative Delivery Modes (ADM):

Learner group	Program
Children at risk on the streets	Kariton Klasrum
Children in indigenous peoples (IP) communities	IPEd
Children who live in difficult circumstances	Pedals and Paddles Project
Children with disabilities (CWDs)	SPEd
Out-of-school youth (OSYs) and inmates	Abot Alam/ALS
Children in off-grid schools and barangays	LightEd PH

Out-of-school children and youth: 2016 survey results

The 2016 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS) found that almost 10%, or 3.8 million of the estimated 39 million Filipinos aged 6 to 24, were out-of-school children and youth (OSCY). This was a large improvement from 2014, when about 32%, or 12 million Filipinos, were OSCY.

In the APIS, OSCY means children 6 to 14 years old who are not attending formal school, and youth 15 to 24 years old who are out of school, not gainfully employed, and have not finished college or a post-secondary course.

• Of the 3.8 million OSCY, 87.3% were 16 to 24 years old, 7.7% were 12 to 15, and 5% were 6 to 11.
• More were female (68.9%) than male (31.1%).

Top reasons for not attending school:

2014 reason	%	2016 reason	%
Employment or looking for work	25.5%	Marriage and family matters	42.3%
High cost of education or financial concern	22.9%	High cost of education or financial concerns	20.2%
Lack of personal interest	14.2%	Lack of personal interest	19.7%

Estimated target population of ALS

World Bank estimates:

Basis	Age group	2008	2013
Education levels	12-26	5,522,488	4,775,673
Education levels	27-64	15,980,523	15,203,396
Education levels	Total	21,503,011	19,979,069
Literacy levels	12-26	5,845,438	4,925,363
Literacy levels	27-64	15,276,087	14,736,589
Literacy levels	Total	21,121,525	19,661,952

Estimates using household surveys (PSA, FLEMMS 2008 and 2013) put the figure between 5 and 6 million.

ALS programs and projects

1. ALS Accreditation and Equivalency Program
2. Mobile Teacher Program
3. eSkwela / e-Learning Program
4. Balik-Paaralan para sa Out-of-School Adults (BPOSA) Program
5. Kariton Klasrum
6. Abot-Alam Program
7. ALS for Differently-Abled Persons (Special Education in ALS)
8. ALS ALIVE
9. Indigenous Peoples Education for ALS
10. Special Interest Programs

Nonformal and informal education

ALS programs fall under two types:

1. Nonformal Education (NFE)
   • Basic Literacy Program (BLP), for illiterates
   • Continuing Education: Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Program, for drop-outs, at the elementary and secondary levels
2. Informal Education (InfEd), for drop-outs and special interest groups, focused on self-development, community development and entrepreneurship, and livelihood development

These programs use face-to-face, radio-based, computer-based (eSkwela), independent, and TV instruction. Materials include print materials, digitized modules, radio scripts, and TV episodes.

How ALS is delivered

ALS programs are carried out by learning facilitators, who go to a sitio or barangay to hold learning sessions. They fall into three groups:

1. DepEd-delivered. DepEd’s own ALS implementers, such as Mobile Teachers and District ALS Coordinators, who hold regular teacher items.
2. DepEd-procured. Service providers contracted by DepEd through the Schools Division Superintendent, such as NGOs, people’s organizations, literacy volunteers, and other community-based organizations.
3. Non-DepEd financed (partners). Non-DepEd organizations, such as local government units, NGOs, other government agencies, international donors, church-based groups, and individuals who volunteer using their own resources.

Number of learning facilitators reported:

Category	Facilitator	Number
DepEd-delivered	Mobile Teachers	2,973
DepEd-delivered	Full-time District ALS Coordinators	2,275
DepEd-delivered	Part-time District ALS Coordinators	164
DepEd-procured	Literacy volunteers	1,363
DepEd-procured	Organizations (service providers)	10
DepEd-procured	Balik-Paaralan para sa Out-of-School Adults	58
Partners	Individuals	2,423
Partners	Organizations	63

The ALS curriculum

Goal: lifelong learning. Every person gains attitudes, knowledge, values, and insights from daily experience. This learning starts at birth and ends only at death, through formal, informal, nonformal, and alternative means. It helps people solve real-life problems and function well in society.

Objective: functional literacy. A functionally literate person can:

• Communicate effectively
• Solve problems scientifically and creatively, and think critically
• Use resources sustainably and be productive
• Develop oneself and a sense of community
• Expand one’s world view

The Basic Education Curriculum for ALS (BEC-ALS)

• It is a learning continuum of essential and functional skills, knowledge, and values, designed to be comparable to formal basic education.
• It draws on the 1997 Philippine Elementary Learning Competencies and the 1998 Philippine Secondary Schools Learning Competencies.
• Its structure and content follow the national definition of functional literacy and its major indicators, developed by the Literacy Coordinating Council (LCC).

Definition of functional literacy

Functional literacy is a range of cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and competencies that enable people to:

• live and work as human persons
• develop their potential
• make critical and informed decisions
• function effectively in society, in their own setting and in the wider local, national, regional, and global community

so that they improve the quality of their lives and of society.

The five learning strands

1. Communication Skills (English and Filipino)
2. Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
3. Sustainable Use of Resources/Productivity
4. Development of Self and a Sense of Community
5. Expanding One’s World Vision

ALS A&E learning modules

The modules are the most important learning source in the A&E program. They cover different topics of interest and include discussions, activities, self-assessment exercises, drawings, articles, and other information.

Principles of learning in ALS

Learning:

1. does not only take place within the four walls of the classroom;
2. is fun when active learning strategies are used;
3. is integrative and holistic, not split into separate subjects;
4. does not come only from teachers and schools;
5. improves when learners’ needs, interests, and experiences are considered;
6. gained outside school is equivalent to learning in school (recognition of prior learning); and
7. needs the mother tongue for basic literacy skills.

Learning modes

1. Face-to-face or structured learning sessions
2. Independent, home study, modular, or self-learning
3. Radio-Based Instruction (RBI)
4. eSkwela / e-Learning

A&E tests and certification

The A&E system gives two levels of certification comparable to formal education: elementary and secondary. Learners are certified by passing the A&E Test at either level. The tests are paper-and-pencil and mostly multiple choice. The source notes that other forms of assessment, such as portfolio assessment, were being planned.

Components of the certification system:

• Multiple-choice test. Covers competencies from the five learning strands; computer-scored; 4 subtests with 160 questions (elementary) or 200 questions (secondary); timed at 3 hours 30 minutes (elementary) or 4 hours 15 minutes (secondary).
• Essay (in Filipino). Assesses writing skills; scored holistically by a team of three assessors, based on the Minnesota Standard Test of Written Composition.
• Portfolio assessment.

Minimum requirements to pass

Level	Multiple-choice score	Essay score
Elementary	90	not less than 2
Secondary	95-99	not less than 3
Secondary	100 and above	not less than 2

What passers can do next

• Elementary passers are automatically accepted into first year high school (DepEd Order No. 13, s. 2003).
• Secondary passers can enroll in TESDA programs and tertiary education.

Recognition of ALS certificates

Memoranda of agreement with schools and organizations allow secondary level passers to enroll in post-secondary, vocational, and college or university programs, subject to the usual screening.

• DECS-TESDA Memorandum of Agreement. Gives NFE A&E secondary certificate holders access to TESDA post-secondary and vocational programs in TESDA regional and provincial training centers.
• Civil Service Commission Resolution No. 000499. Recognizes NFE A&E elementary and secondary certificates as valid documents for permanent appointment to government positions, provided other requirements are met.
• Administrative Order No. 116. Directs government agencies and local government units to support the NFE A&E system for Filipinos aged 15 and above who could not attend or dropped out of formal elementary and secondary education.

Support for ALS

Roles of school heads, LGUs, academe, and NGOs

1. Building or providing ALS learning centers
2. Maintaining existing ALS learning centers
3. Funding training and salaries of instructional managers
4. Budgeting for reproduction of learning materials, such as modules, cassette tapes, and recorders
5. Creating ways to raise resources for ALS programs through legislation
6. Monitoring and evaluating the program

Post-implementation support

1. Graduation or completion ceremony
2. Counseling
3. Referral

ALS results, 2005 to 2015

• Enrolment: 3,968,116 learners
• Completers of the A&E Program: 2,890,787 learners
• A&E test takers: 1,602,475 learners
• A&E test passers: 582,536 learners, declared equivalent basic education graduates and given elementary and high school diplomas

Updates reported in the source

• Curriculum alignment with K to 12. The Bureau of Curriculum Development was reviewing ALS competencies against K to 10 competencies to produce an Enhanced ALS curriculum, with new competencies and materials proposed.
• Learners with disabilities. Visually and hearing impaired learners are served through ALS for Persons with Disability under DepEd Order No. 46, s. 2014.
• Mother tongue materials. ALS materials translated into major Philippine languages are used to teach learners, including cultural minorities, in their mother tongue.

Strategies that worked: need-responsive policies and issuances, active support from stakeholders, activities to gain support, and partnerships with private corporations.

Challenges

• Changes in supervision. Under the DepEd Rationalization Program, the former Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS) functions were absorbed into different bureaus. Schools Division Offices no longer have a supervisor (EPS I) assigned only to ALS, which affects turnover and capacity building.
• Senior High School. Offering SHS in ALS would be hard without staff for the tracks or infrastructure, facilities, and equipment in Community Learning Centers.
• Few learning facilitators. ALS had only a little over 6,846 teachers to reach millions of out-of-school youth.
• Others: mapping potential learners, funding, more learning centers and equipment, enough relevant learning resources, linking learners to livelihood and jobs, and lack of interest among some out-of-school youth.

Future plans

• ALS in the Learner Information System (LIS) for better data on assessment, planning, and policy.
• ALS in all schools, with public schools serving as a one-stop shop for basic education.
• IT-enabled ALS, reviving eSkwela and offering IT-based distance education.
• New ALS assessment by the Bureau of Education Assessment, better aligned with K to 12.
• Senior High School for ALS, with a technical study by the Bureau of Education Assessment to identify common SHS tracks for ALS learners.

Frequently asked questions