Informal Education Program for Alternative Learning System (InfED for ALS)

Staff Development Division, BALS

1. Rationale

The development of an alternative learning system is basically anchored on the 1987

Philippine Constitution. In general, the Constitution promoted the right of all citizens to quality
education and mandates the adoption of appropriate steps to make quality education accessible to all.
Specifically, the Constitution provides for the recognition and promotion of other forms of education
other than that of formal education. Article XIV, Section 2(4) declares "The State shall encourage
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 No. 9155 otherwise known as the Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001
recognizes Alternative Learning System (ALS as a parallel learning system to provide a viable
alternative to the existing formal educational instruction. It encompasses both the nonformal and
informal sources of knowledge and skills.

Rule XII, Section 12.1 of R.A. 9155 likewise emphasizes the operationalization of the
alternative learning system in the elementary, secondary and special needs education

Hence, the development of an Alternative Learning System for out-of-school youths and
adults who unable to avail of the educational opportunities of the formal elementary and secondary
school system is expected to be hastened with the issuance of Executive Order No. 356 entitled the
"Renaming of the Bureau of Nonformal Education to the Bureau of Alternative Learning System."
Paragraph 1 of the said Order states that "it is a declared State policy, to protect and 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."

Numerous efforts have already been made to improve the quality and efficiency of education
in the country. A lot of emphasis has been placed on the implementation of programs and projects for
nonformal education purposely for learners who are not in school or have not been reached by the
formal education system but no single program or project has been identified as informal education.

2. What is Informal Education?

Unesco considered Informal Education as one of the educational systems. Essentially, it is

defined as education that occurs either incidentally or in a directed way from nature and from societal
institutions, agencies and phenomena other than those provided by the formal and nonformal sectors.
Work experience, independent reading, observation of natural phenomena, attendance at community
centers, use hobby clubs, interaction with the mass media, and casual use of libraries, museums and
galleries are all examples of informal learning. The extent to which a society deliberately and
systematically provides opportunities for informal education over and above those available through
the formal and nonformal sectors is a sensitive measure of its status as a learning society.

Coombs, et al. (1973) define Informal Education as the truly lifelong process whereby every
individual acquires attitudes, values, skills and knowledge from daily experience and the educative
influences and resources in his or her environment - from family and neighbors, from work and play,
from the marketplace, the library, and the mass media".

In R.A. No. 9155, the term informal education defined as a lifelong process of learning by
which a person acquire and accumulates knowledge, skills, attitudes and insights from daily
experiences at home, at work and from life itself.

3. Beneficiaries

Learners under ALS Informal Education will be assessed and profiled to determine
appropriate level and learning intervention. After due assessment will be classified as basic Level,
NFE Level (elementary and secondary levels) or Lifelong Learning (post secondary onwards)
learners. Learners who wish to have their learning gains (informal Learnings) accredited may take the
Nonformal Education Accreditation and Equivalency Test (NFE A&E Test) to be administered by
BALS.

Informal Education Program is intended for learners who are in need of education services
with special focus on: Solo Parents, Hearing Impaired, Differently-abled, Inmates; probationers,
Laborers (child laborers), rebel returnees, victims of armed conflict and Street folks (children, families
who are living in the "kariton") Helpers (Kasambahay), Caregivers and Other Deprived, Depressed
and Underserved (DDU) Groups.

4. Project Goal

Develop a learning package that will cater to the needs of the target learners in all areas of
the country.

5. Objectives

The objectives are the following:

1) Raise the learner's level of basic and/or continuing education services, and

2) Empower the learners to continue to learn on their own so they may improve their
quality of life and that of their family and community.

6. Project Description

The project focused on the packaging of a short-term course for specific target groups. It is
understood that Learners for this project are basically literates, hence the learning materials that will
be developed are mainly livelihood skills development program to enhance the skills levels of learners
in some various aspects of social and economic activities. Accreditation is one of the basic
components of the project; hence linkage with prospective employers/agencies will be done for
materials and human resource support and for possible employment after completing the program.

7. Budget

Year Source of Funds Budget

2005 GOP 50,000.00

2006 GOP 50,000.00
2007 GOP 130,000.00
2008 GOP 800,000.00
2009 GOP 1,500.000.00

8. Project Accomplishments

As an initial process of this project, the BALS through the Staff Development Division
conducted a survey or needs assessment of street and working children to determine their needs as
an input to the Informal Education learning materials to be developed for them. Likewise, it provide a
baseline for planning informal education that will be most responsive to the needs of street children
and specific directions for the development of an informal education curriculum specifically for the
disadvantaged groups.

The workshop on the development of learning materials for the disadvantaged groups was
conducted and thirty (30) learning materials were developed in various forms such as: Story Book,
Picture Story, Magazine, Comics and modules.

A pilot implementation of Informal Education on the Disadvantaged Children (Street and

Working) was launched in selected sites to cater the needs of the street and working children who do
not have the opportunity to enter the formal school system and other learning interventions. The
objectives were to create awareness among the concerned stakeholders on the InfEd learning
intervention for the street children including its objectives, nature of the project and terms of reference
and pilot test the learning materials in the eight (8) selected sites.

Three geographical regions were identified to implement the launching cum pilot
implementation of the InfEd project. The following areas are: Luzon: Cabanatuan and Baguio Cities;
Visayas: Cebu and Mandawe Cities; Mindanao: Butuan and Cagayan de Oro Cities.

Monitoring and Evaluation

In order to determine the effectiveness of the project in addressing the needs of its
beneficiaries in the pilot sites, a monitoring was conducted through focus group discussion to
generate feedbacks which could serve as basis in expanding the program to other areas of the
country.

The following are the recommendations and suggestions during the monitoring the project:

1. Provide orientation and training program to InfEd implementers.

2. Provide InfEd Manual for the coordinators or facilitators
3. Print InfEd materials using quality materials for longer usage
4. Provide pathways to InfEd learners: ALS program, skills trainings, mainstreaming in the
formal school , reuniting with parents, etc.
5. Allocate more funds for the project,and
6. Strengthen Advocacy and Social Mobilization for Local Government Units and other
relevant stakeholders

Next Steps:

Expansion of the InfEd project to other parts of the country.

References:

R.A. 9155 - Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001

Executive Order No. 356 - Renaming of the Bureau of Nonformal Education to the Bureau of
Alternative Learning System"

Innivations in Nonformal Education, Minda C. Sutaria, Director, SEAMEO INNOTECH, delivered at

the First National Conference of the Philippine Association for Nonformal Education, on 14 October
1997, Imus Sports Complex, Imus, Cavite

The Nonformal Education Family Literacy Project, A Concept Paper

2000 Statistical Bulletin Report, Office of the Planning Service, DepED, Pasig City