THE school year (SY) 2020-2021 ended on July 9, and it was announced that the opening of classes for SY2021-2022 will be on September 13 - that’s nine weeks after the end of the previous school year.
For those who are asking if resumption of limited face-to-face classes in areas considered as low risk will be allowed, let’s trace the pronouncement of President Rodrigo Duterte. He said he cannot gamble on the health of the children.
So, there will be no face-to-face classes; not just yet.
In this end of school year, the Department of Education (DepEd) has many reasons to celebrate. It has proven that education is one of the important affairs of the country aside from combatting the Covid-19 virus. It has continued education in all forms.
For this year, DepEd has the first batch of Senior High School (SHS) graduates of the Alternative Learning System (ALS) program under the new ALS K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum (BEC).
ALS is a parallel learning system in the Philippines that provides a practical option to the existing formal instruction. If a learner cannot access formal education in schools, ALS is an alternate or substitute. ALS includes both the non-formal and informal sources of knowledge and skills.
Since every Filipino has a right to free basic education, the government establishes ALS to provide access to and complete basic education in a mode that fits distinct situations and needs.
So, who are these ALS learners?
They are the out-of-school children in special cases who are in the official school age (5 to 17-18 years old) but are not enrolled in elementary or secondary schools due to special cases like economic, geographic, political, cultural, or social barriers.
This also includes learners with disabilities or conditions, indigenous peoples, children in conflict with law, learners in emergency situations, and other marginalized sectors.
Or they may be adults who are 18 years old and above, which means they are more than the school age or overage in basic education.
In 2018, the graduates in Junior High School were considered high school graduates and they can pursue college education. But in 2019, the Policy Guidelines on the Implementation of Enhanced Alternative Learning System 2.0 through DepEd Order 13, series 2019 ordered the inclusion of SHS level in the ALS program. This is equivalent to Grade 11 and 12 in formal education system.
It is then mandatory for a Junior High School (JHS) ALS completer to proceed to SHS to be called graduate.
In Davao Region, Carmen National High School piloted the ALS SHS, and it had its first graduates - 11 male and 27 female learners.
In this upcoming school year, about 92 public secondary schools will offer ALS SHS all around Davao Region. The number will still increase depending on the capability of schools to offer such.
DepEd’s ALS program was further reinforced through the passage of Republic Act No. 11510 known as Institutionalization of ALS in December 2020.
The ALS K to 12 BEC is benchmarked on the DepEd K to 12 formal school curriculum and focuses on the 21 st century skills – information, media and technology, learning and innovation, communication, and life and career skills.
One of the success stories of an ALS learner is that of 46-year-old Petronio Panoy of Nabunturan in Davao de Oro who was featured in Diri sa DepEd Onse on July 16. He is a father of three and for 11 years, he worked as a garbage collector. But he always dreams to get his diploma.
On his day off every Friday, he would answer all the modules to be submitted on a Saturday. It was tough but he was determined to complete Junior High School through ALS.
His story is just one among the many stories of hope and determination. With ALS, education is always possible.
Education is achieved anytime and anywhere. Everyone has the chance to learn, to get a diploma, to face every decision with more confidence.
For those who believe in education, they know it gives hope, realizes dreams, improves life.