SENATE Committee on Basic Education Chairman Sherwin Gatchalian on Saturday urged the Department of Education to double their effort in encouraging almost 11 million out-of-school children and youth (OSCY) to go back to school.

This was following the release of a report from the Philippine Statistics Authority which revealed that 10.7 million children and youth aged five to 24 are OSCY or individuals who are not attending formal school.

The PSA added that 68.5 percent of these 10.7 million OSCY are aged 20 to 24, 15.6 percent are aged 15 to 19, 12.3 percent are aged five to nine, and 3.7 percent are aged 10 to 14.

Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education, pointed out that these OSCY can enroll in the Alternative Learning System, a parallel learning system that provides a viable alternative to the existing formal education instruction.

The Alternative Learning System Act, which Gatchalian authored and sponsored this 19th Congress, institutionalized the ALS to give out-of-school children in special cases and adult learners a second chance to complete basic education.

Gatchalian added that school-age children, except those in special cases, should be brought to the formal school system.

Under the ALS law, out-of-school children in special cases are school-age children who are not enrolled in elementary and high schools because of economic, geographic, cultural, and other barriers.

Out-of-school children in special cases include learners with disabilities, indigenous peoples, children in conflict with the law, learners in emergency situations, and other marginalized sectors.

“Mahalagang tiyakin nating maaabot natin ang ating mga kabataang wala sa mga paaralan upang mabigyan sila ng pagkakataong makatanggap ng edukasyon. Para sa ating mga nakatatandang mga mag-aaral at sa mga out-of-school children in special cases, maaari silang mag-enroll sa ALS upang hindi mapag-iwanan pagdating sa pagkakataong makapagtapos at magkaroon ng magandang kinabukasan,” Gatchalian said.