THE DEP ED ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM…

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, DepEd ALS is an
alternate or substitute. ALS includes both the non-formal and informal sources of knowledge and
skills.

Nonformal Vs. Informal Education

1. Nonformal Education 2. Informal Education

• A. Basic Literacy Program • (Personal interest, Community

B. Continuing Education – development, Skills & Livelihood,
Accreditation & Equivalency Program Entrepreneurship)
• Elementary Level
• Secondary Level

ALS Legal Bases

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 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.

Republic Act 9155

The Governance Act for Basic Education otherwise known as the Republic Act 9155 mandates the
Department of Education to provide nonformal and informal education to out-of-school children,
youth, and adults in the Philippines through the Alternative Learning System.

ALS Curriculum Vision & Mission

With the Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS), by the year 2015, the Philippines envision
the attainment of a universal functional literacy brought about by excellence in non formal and
informal delivery of basic education. The Alternative Learning System is an instrument to uphold
the learners’ aspiration for further learning and meaningful participation in the community and
society as a whole.

ALS Goal : Lifelong Learning

• a learning process beginning at birth and ending only with death

• whereby every individual acquires attitudes, knowledge, values and insights from daily
experiences (formal, informal and nonformal, alternative)
 • allowing individuals to continue developing knowledge and competencies, necessary for the
effective participation in solving real life problems and in functioning effectively in the society.

ALS Objective: Functional Literacy

A functionally literate person must be able to:

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

New Definition of Functional Literacy

• A range of skills and competencies, cognitive, affective and behavioral which enables
individuals to:

 live and work as human persons

 develop their potentials
 make critical and informed decisions
 function effectively in society within the context of their environment and that of the wider
community (local, national, regional & global) in order to improve the quality of their life
and that of society.
ALS Target Learners

 Elementary and Secondary School Leavers

 Out-of-School Children – 6-14 years old
 Out-of-School Youth – 15-24 years old
 Out-of-School Adults – 25 years old and above
 Anyone who has not completed 12 – year of basic education.

How ALS Works

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.

Difference between the Formal Education System and the ALS Non-formal Education

• Formal Education system is classroom-based, managed by trained formal school teachers.

• ALS Non-formal Education happens outside the classroom, community-based, usually
conducted at community learning centers, barangay multi-purpose hall, libraries or at
home, managed by ALS learning facilitators, such as mobile teachers, district ALS
Coordinators, instructional managers at an agreed schedule and venue between the
learners and facilitators.

ALS Programs & Projects

1. ACCREDITATION AND EQUIVALENCY PROGRAM (A&E) – is a certification of learning for

OSY and adults aged 11 years old and above for elementary and 15 years old and above in
secondary who are unable to go to or have dropped out of the formal school.
2. BASIC LITERACY PROGRAM (BLP) - is an intensive community-based training for illiterate
out-of-school youth and adults, who are willing to learn basic literacy skills.
3. ALS MOBILE TEACHER PROGRAM makes education accessible to out-of-school youth and
adults in the remote, deprived, depressed and underserved (DDU) difficult to reach
communities.
4. BALIK-PAARALAN PARA SA OUT-OF-SCHOOL ADULTS (BP-OSA) – is a non formal
education program for the elementary and secondary level of out-of-school-youth and
adults delivered in selected elementary and secondary schools teachers serving as
Instructional Managers (IMS).
5. E-skwela Project – is designed to provide learning opportunities to Filipino Out-of-school
Youth and Adults who were not able to avail the opportunities laid by the formal school
system and would like to finish their basic education, where interactive computer-based
multimedia learning resources will be the primary source of instruction.
 6. Indigenous Peoples Education Project(IP) – is an ALS Project that addresses the immediate
needs interests and aspirations of the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) through the implementation
of culturally appropriate and rights-based ALS programs/projects.
7. ALS for Differently-Abled (ALS-DAP) –is a special project that delivers ALS program to
differently-abled out-of-school youth and adults through specialized approaches.
8. Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education (ALIVE) – It is a new approach of delivering
ALS program to the Muslims OSYs and adults. The program provides core learning with
additional Islamic concerns consisting of Arabic language and Islamic values in the learning
experiences of Muslim learners.
9. The “Kariton Klasrum”
10. The Abot-Alam Program
11. Special Interest Programs

Older Programs:

• FAMILY BASIC LITERACY PROJECT(FBLP) - is a literacy service learning intervention

utilizing literate family members to help non-literate members upgrade their literacy skills
and improve the educational opportunities of poor families.
• ADOLESCENT FRIENDLY LITERACY ENHANCEMENT PROJECT (AFLEP) -provides target
learners aged 10-19 years old with basic literacy about early marriage and parenting, family
planning, drug prevention education, livelihood projects, health education and
environmental education.
• INFORMAL EDUCATION (InfED) – is an education activity that addresses the special needs
and interest of the marginalized and other interest groups of learners, making use of the life
skills approach for personal development.
• RADIO-BASED INSTRUCTION (RBI) – is an alternative delivery mode of ALS Accreditation
and Equivalency (A&E) that uses radio broadcast through the local community radio
stations.

DEPED ALS Delivery Mechanisms

• DepEd ALS programs are carried out by learning facilitators who may be directly employed
by DepEd or through service providers and partners.
• They can be grouped into three main categories: 1) DepEd-delivered, 2) DepEd-procured,
and 3) DepEd partners-delivered.

1. DepEd-delivered refers to the ALS program implementation directly carried out by DepEd

ALS implementers, such as the Mobile Teachers, and District ALS Coordinators who are
both employed by DepEd and hold regular teacher items;
2. DepEd-procured refers to the ALS program implementation carried out by service
providers contracted by the DepEd through the Schools Division Superintendent, such as
NGOs, people’s organizations, literacy volunteers, and other community-based
organizations (CBOs)
3. Non-DepEd Financed/Partners refers to the implementation of ALS programs by non-
DepEd organizations, such as Local Government Units (LGUs), NGOs, and other government
organizations, international donor agencies, church-based organizations and individuals on
a voluntary basis using their own resources.

ALS Learning Strands

 1. Communication Skills (English & 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

DEP ED Enhanced ALS 2.0:

1. Communication Skills (English/Filipino)

2. Scientific and Critical Thinking Skills
3. Mathematical and Problem Solving Skills
4. Life and Career Skills
5. Understanding the Self and Society
6. Digital Citizenship (formerly Digital Literacy)

ALS Principles of Learning

• does not only take place within the four (4) walls of the classroom;
• is fun with the use of active learning strategies;
• is not compartmentalized into subjects but it is integrative and holistic;
• Teachers and schools are not the only sources of learning;
• is enhanced when the needs, interests and experiences of the learners are considered;
• acquired outside the school system is equivalent to learning acquired in the schools
(recognition of prior learning); and
• Mother tongue is necessary to acquire basic literacy skills.

ALS Accreditation and Equivalency Classes (A&E) and Livelihood Programs

Students who are interested in enrolling in an ALS class are encouraged to visit Community
Learning Centers. Once there, they will be asked whether they want to attends the literacy class
(ALS A&E) or the livelihood program.

Students who want to take ALS A&E will be given both an oral and written test to assess their
competency level. From the result of the test, applicants will be grouped with either the elementary
or high school level. If the applicant has not attended any formal schooling before, they will be
enrolled in the Basic Literacy Program where they will be taught basic reading and computing skills
before moving them to more advanced classes.

Classes are usually held every day, although how many hours a day or how many days a week a
student should show up for class depends on the instructional managers.

If there are other responsibilities that keep students from attending classes, they are allowed to
take home free modules that they can study wherever and whenever they want. At the end of these
modules, are questions and exercises that the students must answer in order to evaluate how much
they understood the lesson. After they’re done with the modules, they are asked to return them to
their instructional managers so they can correct them.

ALS A& E classes are divided into five categories called learning strands (Communication Skills
(English & Filipino), Problem Solving and Critical Thinking, Sustainable Use of
Resources/Productivity, Development of Self and a Sense of Community, and Expanding One’s
World Vision).

By integrating these 5 learning strands, ALS A&E students are not only taught academic skills such
as reading, writing, and doing research, they are also taught practical things that they can use in
everyday situations, especially in a diverse and challenging work environment.

Livelihood classes, on the other hand, teach them practical skills that they can use to earn a living.
These include cooking, dressmaking, hairdressing, and handicraft making among other things.

In some classes, ALS A&E classes are reinforced with skills training in order to help the learners
become well-rounded individuals while keeping the lessons varied and interesting at the same
time.

Duration of the Program

The ALS A &E classes take a minimum of 800 hours to complete; however, this may change every
now and then depending on the progress of the students.

By contrast, the duration of the livelihood program greatly varies depending on the specific skill
being learned – going anywhere from three days up to several months or more.

Assessment and Evaluation

Just like traditional students, ALS A&E are also given summative tests to assess their understanding
of the things that have been taught to them. These tests come in the form of multiple-choice, fill in
the blanks, and essay type questions that the students must answer based on what they’ve learned.

After they’ve graduated from the class, students are then encouraged to take the Alternative
Learning System Accreditation & Equivalency Test in order to get certificates that are equivalent to
diplomas received by traditional elementary and highs school graduates.

ALS A&E Assessment and Certification System

provides two levels of certification of learning achievement comparable to formal education:

I. Elementary level
II. Secondary level

ALS Accreditation and Equivalency Test

• The Alternative Learning System Accreditation and Equivalency (ALS A&E) Test, formerly
known as the Non-formal Education A&E Test, is a paper and pencil test designed to
 measure the competencies of those who have neither attended nor finished elementary or
secondary education in the formal school system.
• Passers of the A&E Test are given a certificate/diploma, bearing the Department of
Education (DepEd) seal and the signature of the Secretary, certifying their competencies as
comparable graduates of the formal school system. Passers are qualified to enroll in
secondary and post-secondary schools.

Components of the ALS A&E Certification System

 The ALS A&E Standardized Multiple-choice Tests

 An essay
 Portfolio Assessment

1. Multiple – Choice Tests

– covers competencies drawn from five (5) learning strands – comm skills,
– computer-scored
– 4 subtests with 160 questions for elementary, 200 for secondary
– time-framed (3 hrs. 30 min. elementary and 4 hrs. 15 min. secondary)
2. An essay (in Filipino)
– assess writing skills
– assessed using holistic scoring by a team of three (3) assessors
– based on Minnesota Standard Test of Written Composition
Test Passers must meet minimum requirements:

1. Elementary Level
• – Multiple-choice test
– Essay writing test
• *90 in multiple choice test with not less than 2 in essay
2. Secondary Level
• – Multiple-choice test
– Essay writing test
*95-99 in multiple choice test with not less than 3 in essay
*100 and above in multiple choice test with not less than 2 in essay

Who are qualified to register?

Applicants for A&E Test Elementary Level should be at least 12 years old and at least 16 years old
for the Junior High School.

Pursuant to D.O. 55, s. 2016, the following may register:

1. Learners in the Alternative Learning System;
a. 2016 ALS Program Completers
b. Non-passers in the previous A&E Tests who completed ALS Program
c. Those who completed ALS program but did not take the A&E Test in the previous test
administration
2. Out of School Children and Youth who are prepared for assessment; and
3. Adults who are seeking for Certification of Learning.
• For those who wish to take A&E Test- Junior High School level without the elementary
certificate, they shall be advised to take certification for elementary level first.

What are the documents needed for registration?

1. Original and Photocopy of Certification of ALS Program Completion issued by the Learning
Facilitator* (For ALS Learners only)
2. Original and Photocopy of Birth Certificate (NSO/PSA);
3. If copy of Birth Certificate from the Philippine Statistics Authority (formerly National Statistics
Office) is not available, any of the following documents can be presented:
i. Baptismal Certificate;
ii. Voter’s ID (with picture and signature);
iii. Valid Passport;
iv. Valid Driver’s License; and
v. Any legal document bearing the applicant’s picture, name and signature (e.g. NBI Clearance,
Barangay certificate, certification issued by barangay leaders/chieftain or learning facilitator)
4. Two 1×1 identical ID Photo (white background with name tag)
How to register?

The test applicant shall:

1. go to the designated Registration Center and look for the Registration Committee to secure a
registration form
2. personally accomplish the Registration Form at the Registration Center. Please refer to
Enclosure 3 for the detailed procedure in accomplishing the form.
3. present the accomplished Registration form, together with the complete requirements to the
Registration Committee for evaluation of documents.
4. receive the applicant’s copy (lower portion of the registration form) for safekeeping and
presentation to the examiner on the testing day.

In hard to reach/ far-flung areas, learning facilitators may gather applicants in one assembly and
assist them in the registration. They shall secure the accomplished forms and the required
documents for submission on behalf of the applicants to the Registration Committee in the SDO or
DO. After the evaluation of documents, learning facilitators shall ensure safekeeping and
distribution of all the applicants’ copy to the examinees on or before the testing day.

NO PAYMENT SHALL BE COLLECTED by anyone involved in the A&E Test Registration,

Administration and issuance of certificate of rating.

Who will manage the registration and how?

The Schools Division Superintendent (SDS) shall designate a Registration Committee. which
consists of a Registration Officer, a co-registrar and a support staff. They should have experience in
the conduct of BEA testing program. They will facilitate the registration process by doing the
following:

a. report to the Registration Center from October 2-18, 2017 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.,
including weekends.
b. interview the prospective applicants to determine if they are qualified to register.
 c. distribute the registration forms to qualified applicants.
d. explain how the registration form will be accomplished (but will not accomplish it for the
applicant).
e. check if registration forms are duly accomplished by the applicant, making sure that there are
no blank spaces and errors in the form.
f. certify that all information supplied in the registration form are based on the submitted
requirements.
g. report to the Division Testing Coordinator (DTC) any applicants with incomplete
requirements or questionnable documents.
h. fill out the name of the testing center in the registration form.
i. detach the lower part of the registration form and returns it to the registrant for use as
admission document on the testing day.
j. prepare the master list of registrants for submission to the SDS (See Enclosure 4).
k. sign and submit the list to the Division Testing Coordinator (DTC).

The DTC shall submit the list to BEA to prepare the national allocation of test materials. The
submitted list should be signed by the Registration Officer, DTC and SDS.

Expenses for the reproduction of registration forms shall be charged in the contingency funds as
prepared in the budget estimates during the National Assessment Conference for A&E Test.

Who else can help the registrants in the registration process and how?

• ALS mobile Teachers and District ALS Coordinators/Focal persons in the Schools Division
Offices (SDOs)/District Offices (DOs) may help in the dissemination of information and
distribution of registration form. They are also requested to facilitate the issuance of
Certificate of ALS Program Completion for ALS Learners.
• 8. Who will monitor/supervise the registration?
• The Regional Testing Coordinator (RTC) and the Division Testing Coordinator (DTC) will
monitor the registration process in the SDOs and DOs.

Options/Opportunities for the ALS A&E Test Passers

 Enter college/university
 Enter other non formal training programs
 Enter formal training programs
 Enter/re-enter the world of work
 Enter/re-enter elementary or secondary formal school system
 Learn essential life skills to participate more fully and actively in the political, social, and
economic lives in the community

Formal Agreements with Agencies, Institutions and Organizations

• Memoranda of Agreement with other educational institutions and organizations that
Secondary Level Passers can enroll in post-secondary schools and vocational training
programs, college / university courses subject to the usual screening procedures
• Memorandum of Agreement signed between DECS and the Technical Education and
Skills Development Authority (TESDA)provides NFE A&E Secondary Level Certificate
Holders access to TESDA administered post-secondary schools and vocational training
programs offered in TESDA Regional and Provincial Training Centers
 • Civil Service Commission (CSC) Resolution No. 000499
• recognizing the 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
mandating all concerned government agencies and local government units to support the
NFE A&E System that provides an alternative means of certification of learning to those
Filipinos aged 15 years and above who are unable to avail of the formal School System or
have dropped out of formal elementary and secondary education.

ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM 2.0

I. RATIONALE
Alternative Learning System (ALS) provides opportunities for out-of-school youth and adult
(OSYA) learners to develop basic and functional literacy skills and to access equivalent
pathways to complete basic education.

With the introduction of the ALS K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum (BEC), there is a need
to harmonize the policies pertaining to ALS to ensure strategic, efficient and effective
implementation.

II. PROCEDURES

A. 2019 ALS- K TO 12 BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM (2019 ALS-K TO 12 BEC)

1. A new ALS K to 12 Curriculum was developed to provide the blueprint for the enhanced ALS.
Known as the 2019 ALS K to 12 BEC, the curriculum is benchmarked on the DepEd K to 12
Formal School Curriculum, and focuses on the 21st Century Skills of Information, Media
and Technology Skills, Learning and Innovation Skills, Communication Skills, and Life and
Career Skills.

2. Key features of the 2019 ALS-K to 12 BEC:

a. is substantially aligned with the competencies of the formal K to 12 Curriculum;

b. is NOT a mirror image of the formal school curriculum given the nature of the ALS program
and the type of learners enrolling in this program;
c. covers Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) and Life and Career skills
and competencies not found in the formal school curricula have been added;
d. includes examples of application of competencies in everyday life to help/guide the learning
delivery and the development of appropriate, relevant and responsive learning materials and
learning assessment tools; and
e. uses the standard terminologies and coding system of the DepEd K to 12 curriculum.
f. provides opportunities for learners to acquire vocational and technical skills to
enhance their work readiness / employability.

Key Stages of Learning (ALS K to 12 BEC)

 ALS-K to 12 Key Stages Corresponding Grade in the Formal School System
Basic Literacy (BL) Level Kinder to Grade 1
Lower Elementary (LE) Level Grades 2 to 3
Advanced Elementary (AE) Level Grades 4 to 6
Junior High School (JHS) Level Grades 7 to 10
Senior High School (SHS) Level Grades 11 to 12

• The Basic Literacy (BL) level develops the basic literacy skills of reading, writing, viewing,
speaking, listening, and numeracy. The BL level is equivalent to Kinder to Grade 1 of the
formal basic education.
• At the Lower Elementary (LE) level, learning competencies equivalent to Grades 2 to 3 are
developed. At this level, learners are encouraged to begin to learn how to learn’ so they can
increasingly study and learn independently.
• The Advanced Elementary (AE) level requires the development of learning competencies
parallel to the Grades 4 to 6 of the formal basic education.
• The Junior High School (JHS) level advances the ALS learners to a deeper understanding
of the learning competencies that is equivalent to Grades 7 to 10. The learning
competencies have a higher degree of complexity and help learners develop an increasing
degree of independence in applying knowledge, skill and values learned.
• The Senior High (SHS) level is equivalent to Grades 11 to 12. It ensures that all learners
will be equipped with competencies required for employment, entrepreneur ship, middle
level skills and tertiary education.

Enhanced ALS Learning Assessment

1. The ALS Task Force has completed development of a new Functional Literacy Test (FLT) based
on the six (6) learning strands of the new ALS K to 12 BEC.
2. At the start of each implementation of the ALS 2.0, all learners shall be assessed using the revised
Functional Literacy Test (FLT) and existing Assessment for Basic Literacy (ABL) (for Basic literacy
level learners only) in conjunction with an assessment and documentation of their prior learning.
ALS teachers will make use of the latest version of approved FLT, ABL, and RPL Assessment Forms
in accordance with set policies and procedures.
3. The existing ALS assessment policies and practices for formative learner assessment will
continue. Results of all individual learner assessments should be documented by the ALS teacher
(with copies stored in the learner’s portfolio) and used to monitor learning progress and as basis
for remediation and future lesson planning.
4. Under enhanced ALS there will, however, be significant changes to ALS summative
assessment and specifically the requirements for A&E equivalency certification.

These changes include:

• The A&E certification process will be expanded to include Portfolio assessment and
Project-based learning and assessment. Starting June 2019 learners interested in seeking
an A&E elementary or secondary equivalency certification will be required to submit a
 presentation portfolio containing selected learning outputs as evidence of mastery of
competencies from the six (6) learning strands of the new ALS K to 12 BEC and a
learning project, in addition to taking the A&E test. It is proposed that the percentage
weights between the A&E test and portfolio will be as follows:
 80% A&E test
 20% Portfolio

Further guidelines on the expanded A&E certification requirements and process will be issued.

• The A&E exam will be based on the competencies of the new ALS K to 12 curriculum. It will
continue be administered by the Bureau of Education Assessment (BEA).
• Opportunities for micro-certification of basic education and technical- vocational skills
competencies will be made available; and
• In addition to the Certificate of Rating (COR) to be issued by BEA, EL certificate/JHS
certificate of completion will be issued duly signed by the Schools Division Superintendents
(SDSs).

Material Prepared by:

Kleone S. Butaslac
for Educ. 907: Curriculum Development
July 27, 2019