Non-Formal Education

Bureau of Alternative Learning System

BNFE renamed to Bureau of Alternative Learning System President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo renamed the Education departments Bureau of Non-formal Education (BNFE) to Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS) through Executive Order 356 dated September 13, 2004. Functions: Coordinate with various agencies for skills development to enhance and ensure continuing employability, efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness in the labor market; Ensure the expansion of access to educational opportunities for citizens of different interests, capabilities demographic characteristics and socio-economic origins and status; and Promote certification and accreditation of alternative learning programs both formal and informal in nature for basic education Address the learning needs of the marginalized groups of the population including the deprived, depressed and undeserved citizens,

Goals to protect and promote the right of all citizen to quality basic education to promote the right of all citizens to quality basic education and such education accessible to all by providing all Filipino children in the elementary level and free education in the high school level. Such education shall also include alternative learning system for out-of school youth and adult learners. (Section 2 of PA. 9155, The Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001). to provide a viable alternative to the existing formal education instruction, encompassing both the non-formal and informal sources of knowledge and skills;

What EFA says about ALS

BALS is mandated to develop a credible Alternative Learning System. Function of Alternative Learning System is to transform all Non-formal Education/ Informal Education into an Alternative Learning System yielding more EFA benefits. The existing Bureau of Alternative Learning System of the DepEd should be developed, strengthened and mandated to serve as the government agency to guide the evolution of the countrys alternative learning system.

Definition of Terms These are the important concepts for which operational definitions are needed. These definitions are taken from the Governance Act of Basic Education (RA 9155).

Alternative Learning System is a parallel learning system that provides a viable alternative to the existing formal education. It encompasses both the nonformal and informal sources of knowledge and skills. Non-formal Education is any organized, systematic educational activity carried outside the framework of the formal system to provide selected types of learning to a segment of the population. Informal Education is a lifelong process of learning by which every person acquires and accumulates knowledge, skills, attitudes and insights from daily experiences at home, at work, at play and from itself. Basic Education is the education intended to meet basic learning needs which lay the foundation on which subsequent learning can be based. It encompasses early childhood, elementary and high school education as well as Alternative Learning System for children, outof-school youth and adult learners and includes education for those with special needs. Programs Concerns Public awareness campaign Partnership with private sector and LGUs Use of various technologies Upgrading personal and professional welfare of Mobile Teachers. Inclusion in the Teacher Education Curriculum. New programs for different marginalized learners.

Programs and Projects Basic Literacy Program (BLP) This program is aimed at eradicating illiteracy among out-of-school youth and adults. Accreditation and Equivalency Program Aimed at providing an alternative pathway of learning for those who are literate but have not completed 10 years of Basic Education mandated by the Philippine Constitution.

Indigenous People Education It is a research and development project aims to provide basic education support services to IP community.

ALIVE in ALS Designed for the Muslim migrants to be able to positively contribute to peace efforts of our government to improve Muslim quality of life. Alternative Learning System for Differently Abled Persons Aims to deliver Basic Literacy Program to the special, differently-abled persons. Adolescent Reproductive Health A Project for out-of school adolescent ages 9-24 years old. Parent Education A life skills short-term course that address the special needs, interest and responsibilities of parents to their family and community. Family Basic Literacy Program Upgrade literacy skills and improve educational opportunities of poor families Informal Education for Disadvantage Children This short term educational activity that addresses the special needs and interest of street and working children.

DepEd delivery mechanism for ALS Programs:

DepEd Delivered o ALS Mobile Teachers - Teachers who live in remote communities to provide education for children o District ALS Coordinator - Formal school teacher that conducts sessions for illiterate adult and children. DepEd Procured - Division office enters into a contract with private groups or organizations to deliver BLP and A&E Program. ALS Service Providers - Private groups and organizations who are awarded the funds in order to deliver BLP and A&E program to target learners in the community. Facilitator Responsible for facilitating the learning session for groups of learners Instructional Manager Key person in the A&E program and also responsible for facilitating the learning session for groups of learners. Non DepEd Private groups, LGUs and organizations that deliver the BLP and A&E program using their own funds.

MOBILE TEACHERS AND PPOVERTY ALLEVIATION DepEd-BALS Mobile Teacher Program Seeks to improve the quality of life in community by raising the level of literacy in target areas. Target areas for this program are those with high literacy rate, a huge population of out-of school youth, and Strong Republic Schools (SRS) where learners are displaced due to insurgency. Unlike regular education where students go to school, mobile teachers seek out the learners. Learning sessions, with the aid of learning materials that are userfriendly and indigenous, are held in Community Learning Centers (CLCs) which may be a barangay hall, church, factory, reading center, or a house. There are 1,381 mobile teachers to date. These mobile teachers are deployed to deprived, depressed, and undeserved (DDU) communities all over the country where literacy is most wanting. DDU communities are determined by the mobile teachers themselves who go from house to house to determine the number of non-readers in each household. Our public school teachers are doing an outstanding job in providing education for our children despite the difficulty of accessibility to schools in some areas. They are virtually heroes, crossing mountains and rivers just provide basic education to out-of-school youth and adults who still want to learn. -President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Our mobile teachers contribution to alternative education is indeed, invaluable. They serve as bridges for the departments to reach out to all kinds of learners. -DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus