Gatchalian grateful over Senate approval of ALS bill on third reading amid COVID-19

The Senate has approved on third and final reading a bill that seeks to institutionalize the Alternative Learning System (ALS) and establish an ALS Community Learning Center (CLC) in every city and municipality in the country.

According to Senator Win Gatchalian, principal author of the Alternative Learning System Act, putting up ALS CLCs in every city and municipality will give more Filipinos outside the formal school system a second chance to complete their basic education.

Gatchalian added that the ALS Act also reflects the need for continued education amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He pointed out that the bill utilizes a mix of learning modalities required under the 'new normal' such as digital learning, modular instruction, and radio and television-based instruction to help ensure the safety of learners.

ALS is the Department of Education's (DepEd) parallel learning system for those who cannot access formal education due to economic, geographic, political, cultural, and social barriers, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, children in conflict with the law, persons deprived of liberty, migrant workers, and other marginalized sectors of the society.

In comparison to the formal education system, ALS is a non-formal education that happens outside the classroom, community-based, usually conducted at community learning centers, barangay multi-purpose halls or at home at an agreed schedule and venue between the learners and learning facilitators for free.

"The ALS Act is, in its very essence, a bill about second chances. It is a bill about providing opportunities for a better life to our fellow Filipinos who have fallen into hard times," said Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education Arts and Culture.

According to the May 2018 Philippines Education Note by the World Bank, at least 24 million Filipinos aged 15 and above have not completed basic education. The same report said that an additional 2.4 million children aged 5 to 14 were not in school.

"Kung bawat lungsod o munisipyo sa bansa ay magkakaroon ng ALS Community Learning Center, mas madali nating maaabot at mabibigyan ng dekalidad na edukasyon ang bawat Pilipinong napagkaitan ng pagkakataong tapusin ang kanilang pag-aaral," the senator said.

"Malaking hamon ito para sa lahat ng stakeholders lalo na't pinaghahandaan natin ngayon ang tinatawag na new normal sa muling pagbubukas ng eskwela," he added.

In 2019, there were 738,929 learners enrolled in ALS.

Aside from establishing ALS CLCs in every city and municipality, the ALS Act establishes the Bureau of Alternative Education (BAE), which will serve as the focal office for the implementation of ALS. In 2016, the Bureau of Alternative Learning System was dissolved and its functions were integrated in other bureaus of the DepEd.

The proposed measure also strengthens the ALS Teacher Program to address the shortage of ALS teachers and facilitators. The bill mandates the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to create teaching positions for ALS teachers. There were 10,214 ALS learning facilitators for 2019, which include mobile teachers, District ALS coordinators, and literacy volunteers among others.

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Malaking hamon ang ALS sa gitna ng pandemya sabi ni Gatchalian; panukala aprubado na ng Senado

Aprubado na ng Senado sa third and final reading ang isang panukalang maglulunsad ng Alternative Learning System Community Learning Center o ALS CLC sa bawat lungsod at munisipyo sa bansa.

Ayon kay Senador Win Gatchalian na may akda ng panukalang Alternative Learning System Act, mas maraming Pilipino ang magkakaroon ng pagkakataong matapos ang kanilang pag-aaral kung bawat lungsod at munisipyo sa bansa ay may sarili nitong ALS CLC.

Ang ALS ay isang programa sa ilalim ng Department of Education o DepEd na layong bigyan ng libreng edukasyon ang mga mamamayang hindi makapasok sa mga paaralan dahil sa kawalan ng kakayahan na magbayad ng tuition o di kaya ay sa malalayo at liblib na lugar nanunuluyan.

Kabilang dito ang mga persons with disabilities o mga may kapansanan, indigenous peoples, children in conflict with the law, mga persons deprived of liberty, mga migrant workers, at iba pang mga nangangailangang sektor ng lipunan.

Malaking hamon ani Gatchalian ang ALS lalo na ngayong panahon ng pandemya at naghahanda na ang mga paaralan sa muling pagbubukas ng klase. Dagdag niya, tinutugunan din ng ALS Act ang pangangailangan sa patuloy na edukasyon sa kabila ng banta ng COVID-19. Sinabi pa ng mamababatas na gagamitin ng ALS ang iba't ibang paraan ng pagtuturo na kailangan sa ilalim ng tinaguriang 'new normal.' Kabilang dito ang digital learning, modular instruction, at pag-aaral gamit ang radyo at telebisyon.

Ipinaliwanag ni Gatchalian na ang pagtuturo sa ilalim ng ALS ay madalas ginagawa sa mga komunidad gamit ang mga community learning centers, barangay multi-purpose halls, o iba pang lugar na mapagkasunduan ng mga mag-aaral at kanilang mga guro.

Ayon sa May 2018 Philippines Education Note ng World Bank, may humigit-kumulang dalawampu't apat (24) na milyong Pilipinong labinlimang (15) taong gulang pataas ang hindi nakapagtapos sa high school. Ayon din sa naturang ulat, may mahigit dalawang milyong (2.4) mga kabataang lima (5) hanggang labing-apat (14) na taong gulang ang hindi nag-aaral.

"Kung bawat lungsod o munisipyo sa bansa ay magkakaroon ng ALS Community Learning Center, mas madali nating maaabot at mabibigyan ng dekalidad na edukasyon ang bawat Pilipinong napagkaitan ng pagkakataong tapusin ang kanilang pag-aaral," dagdag ng senador.

Nitong nakaraang taon, may mahigit pitong daang libong (738,929) mga mag-aaral ang nakasama sa programang ALS.

Palalakasin din ng panukalang batas ang ALS Teacher Program upang tugunan ang kakulangan sa mga ALS teachers at facilitators. Sa ilalim ng panukalang batas, magiging mandato sa Department of Budget and Management o DBM at sa Civil Service Commission o CSC ang pagbubukas ng mga teaching positions para sa sistema ng edukasyon sa ALS.

Mahigit sampung libong (10, 214) ALS learning facilitators ang naitala para sa taong 2019. Kabilang dito ang mga mobile teachers, District ALS coordinators, at mga literacy volunteers.

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