ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEMS

ALS 2.0
The Alternative Learning System (ALS) is a parallel learning system in the Philippines
that 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.

A viable alternative to the existing formal education system, ALS encompasses both
non-formal and informal sources of knowledge and skills. As a second chance
education program, it aims to empower OSYA learners to continue learning in a
manner, time and place suitable to their preference and circumstances, and for them to
achieve their goals of improving their quality of life and becoming productive
contributors to society.

In 2016, the ALS Program began undergoing reforms as part of strengthening,

intensifying, and expanding its implementation. Three years of consultation, review and
development of policies, training, and evaluation with partners in the government, local
and international non-government agencies, and civil society organizations led to the
finalization of the enhanced ALS K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum, the development
of the ALS Program 2.0, and the rollout of the five-year ALS 2.0 Strategic Roadmap.

In 2022, the DepEd Bureau of Alternative Education (BAE), in partnership with SEAMEO
Innotech and USAID Opportunity 2.0, launched the ALS 2.0 Monitoring and
Evaluation (M&E) System Operations Handbook  to help the Department in
determining the effectiveness of the Program in meeting its desired outcomes and
targets based on approved plans.

In 2022, DepEd and UNICEF launched two new ALS publications: The ALS ICT
Strategic Plan 2022-2026, which concretizes the roles of ICT in the areas of access,
quality and governance of the improved ALS Program; and the ALS Research Agenda
2022-2026, which promotes evidence-based decision-making and policy development
for the ALS program to achieve quality and inclusive lifelong learning and guides the
research community in contributing to ALS research work.

THE ALS K TO 12 BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM

The ALS Program uses a contextualized non-formal curriculum which is substantially

aligned with the K to 12 Curriculum for Basic Education of the formal school system,
but it is not the mirror image of the formal school curriculum. It is aligned but not
identical. This takes into account the prior learning of its learners and reflects the
indicators of functional literacy into six interrelated learning strands.
The table below shows the six learning strands and corresponding topics or skills.

ALS K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum Learning Strands

Learning Strands Skills

Learning Strand 1 Communication Skills (English)
Communication Skills (Filipino)
Learning Strand 2 Scientific Literacy and Critical Thinking
Learning Strand 3 Mathematical and Problem Solving Skills
Learning Strand 4 Life and Career Skills
Learning Strand 5 Understanding the Self and Society

Learning Strand 6 Digital Citizenship

See details in https://www.deped.gov.ph/about-als/

The Deparment of Education implements non-formal education programs through the

ALS. Non-formal education is defined by UNESCO as “education that is
institutionalized, intentional and planned by an education provider. The defining
characteristic of non-formal education is that it is an addition, alternative and/or a
complement to formal education within the process of the lifelong learning of
individuals. It is often provided to guarantee the right of access to education for all.
Non-formal education can cover programs contributing to adult and youth literacy and
education for out-of-school children, as well as programs on life skills, work skills, and
social or cultural development.”

The non-formal education programs in ALS are Basic Literacy Program (BLP) and
Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Program.

The ALS Program also provides opportunity for learning through Informal Education
(InFed). Informal Education, defined as a “lifelong learning process acquired outside
the formal school system but complements learning acquired in both non-formal and
formal basic education,” creates opportunities for self-development, community
development, entrepreneurship, and skills development in response to the individual’s
learning interest.

 Basic Literacy Program

The Basic Literacy Program (BLP) is a program component of ALS aimed at eradicating
illiteracy among OSYA, and in extreme cases, school-aged children, by developing the
basic literacy skills of reading, writing, and numeracy.

 Accreditation and Equivalency Program

 Life Skills for Work Readiness and Civic Engagement Program

https://www.deped.gov.ph/als-programs/

A&E TEST

About A&E Assessment and Certification

The ALS Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Assessment and Certification is a process that
comprises an exam and other appropriate assessments to measure the competencies
acquired by ALS learners based on the ALS K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum (BEC).

Completers of ALS who are passers of the A&E Test are given certificates bearing the
Department of Education (DepEd) seal, the ALS logo, the Schools Division Office’s
logo, dry seal and designated signatories, and the school’s name (if the A&E passer
completed ALS under a school or an SBM School for ALS) or the Community Learning
Center’s name (if the A&E passer completed ALS under a CLC). This duly signed
official document certifies their competencies as comparable graduates of the formal
education system.
Under DepEd Order No. 27, series 2018 (Amendment to DepEd Order No. 42, s. 2015,
or the High School Graduates Who are Eligible to Enroll in Higher Education Institutions
in School Year 2016-2017, in Relation to ALS), beginning school year 2018-2019 and
for subsequent school years, passers of previous A&E Tests (high school level), and of
the November 2017, March 2018, and February and March 2019 A&E Tests (high
school level), who are all high school graduates of the old basic education curriculum
for ALS, are eligible to:
a. Enroll in college/university as First Year students, subject to admission policies and
requirements of higher education institutions (HEIs); or
b. Take skills development training programs; or

c. Enroll in Senior High School at any public school, or private school of their choice
(subject to admission requirements).
Schedules
Results
https://www.deped.gov.ph/ae-test/

ALS LEARNING MATERIALS

 ICT4ALS
With the extension of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) due to COVID-19, the need
for more online learning opportunities is more apparent. In response to this, UNICEF
Philippines created the ICT4ALS website to provide online resources and apps that ALS
learners, teachers, and implementers can explore and use.

The ICT4ALS complements the DepEd Commons' pool of learning resources. It also
includes links to online webinars, courses, and tutorials that ALS teachers can partake
to learn more about ICT-based distance teaching and learning.
The ICT4ALS is co-developed and regularly updated by the UNICEF Philippines
Education team, the ALS Task Force, and various partners and volunteers.
Access ICT4ALS here: http://bit.ly/ICT4ALS
 MyDev Life Skills FMs
 ALS TV

https://www.deped.gov.ph/als-learning-materials/

RESOURCES

Issuances

https://www.deped.gov.ph/category/alternative-learning-system/issuances-
alternative-learning-system/

ALS – RESEARCHES
https://www.deped.gov.ph/category/alternative-learning-system/researches-
alternative-learning-system/
TRENDS IN ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM

ISSUES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ALS