Imagine a father who wasn’t able to finish high school and is now stuck in a dead-end job that doesn’t even meet the minimum wage. It looks as if it’s too late for him to go back to school now. Imagine also a girl from the province working as a househelp in Manila to be able to study at night – but it would take at least four years just to finish high school, and another two to four years for college. It would be very difficult for them to pursue education – that is, until ALS came along.
ALS stands for Alternative Learning System, and is a program of the Department of Education under the Bureau of Alternative Learning System. It is a parallel learning system that provides a a viable alternative to the existing formal education instruction. It encompasses both the nonformal and informal sources of knowledge and skills (definition from the Governance Act of Basic Education or RA 9155).
How does ALS work? Students would come in on a set time and choose a module to read. There are quizzes after each module, and students are expected to test their learning by taking the quiz. Since ALS is basically a module-based learning, the student must work hard on their own since they are taking their learning into their own hands. To give you an idea of how a module looks, you can check out a sample module here.
Unlike in schools where you have a teacher who explains the lessons to the class, in ALS you only have a facilitator available to answer any questions the students may have. Once in a while, lecturers come in to help out by discussing a module. After a year, the students take an accreditation and equivalency exam. If they pass this test, they get the equivalent of a high school diploma and can now enroll in college.
ALS not only cuts the time needed to complete high school education, it also significantly cuts the cost for the students. That’s because the target students of ALS are those who are too poor or too old to study in a regular high school.
Under an affiliation with LALAF (Life and Livelihood Assistance Foundation), two IRM churches – IRM Marikina and IRM Cainta – have established ALS centers. This is mainly through the ministry of Sis. Lanie Pascual and the assistance of Sis. Judy Palma and Bro. Rey Domingo Jr (the son of Bishop Rey Domingo).
The ALS program gives hope to out-of-school youths and adults who weren’t able to finish high school. Offering ALS is a way to help and bless the community, and promotes the presence and ministry of the church in the neighborhood. In addition, IRM is able to minister and share the Gospel to the ALS students and their families. In fact, many former ALS students are now active members of IRM Marikina and Cainta.
IRM is currently planning to roll out the ALS program – including its literacy program and elementary school equivalency program - in more IRM churches, especially in the provinces. There is one already scheduled to start in Bicol through the ministry of Rev. Ramil Baracena. However, this will require time, manpower and finances, since the students only pay a minimal amount to enroll. If you would like to support the ALS program in any way, please send an email to bishopreydomingo@yahoo.com.
its very nice that i like that but can i asking this?
what is logo for bals? how many students are their in every country?