THE SENATE has ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the measure institutionalizing the Alternative Learning System.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture, hailed the ratification of the reconciled versions of the Senate and the Lower House, saying it is a step closer for millions of ‘out-of-school children in special cases’ and adults to complete their basic education.

Under the system, ALS Teachers, Community ALS Implementers, and Learning Facilitators deliver a range of programs to out-of-school children in special cases and adults.

Out-of-school children in special cases are children in the official school age who are not enrolled in the elementary or secondary schools due to special cases such as economic, geographic, political, and cultural factors, or social barriers. These include learners with disabilities or conditions, Indigenous Peoples, children in conflict with the law, those who reside in the unreached, underserved, conflict-affected communities, communities in emergency situations and other marginalized sectors.

Under the measure, every city and municipality will have their own ALS Community Learning Centers.

Gatchalian said ALS is crucial in the education sector’s efforts to ‘build back better’.

The World Bank’s May 2018 Philippines Education Note said that at least 24 million Filipinos aged 15 and above have not completed basic education. It added that an additional 2.4 million children aged 5 to 14 were not in school.

DepEd’s national enrollment data as of September 28 showed there were only 393, 163 enrollees under the ALS program nationwide, lower than last year’s 738,929.

To help strengthen the ALS Teachers Program, the DepEd, in consultation with the Department of Budget and Management and the Civil Service Commission, shall create teaching positions and allocate corresponding salary grades.

ALS teachers will also be entitled to promotion based on the qualification standards of the CSC.

“Kung tuluyang maisabatas ang panukalang ito, masisiguro natin na ang pangalawang pagkakataong ibibigay natin sa ating mga kababayan ay talagang makatutulong upang matupad nila ang kanilang mga pangarap na magkaroon ng magandang kinabukasan,” Gatchalian said.