What is ALS?

Alternative Learning System (ALS) is the DepEds informal and functional literacy program for the out-of-school children, youth and adults. This is parallel learning system to provide a viable alternative to the existing formal education instruction, encompassing both the nonformal and informal sources of knowledge and skills. ALS is an independent complete learning system crafted to address the various learning strands of ALS curriculum and passing the Accreditation & Equivalency Test the learners would gain High school diploma and prospect for college, vocational courses and employment opportunities.

Why CSB would implement ALS?

There is a prevalence of out-of-school children and youth in the communities surrounding CSB. They are typically born to impoverished families, have low-self esteem and required to work to support their parents and younger siblings. But despite the adversities these youths face, they largely hope for an opportunity to return to school.

Responding to this challenge is in light of concretizing CSBs goal to address the needs of the communities that surround the College through skills-based capacity building programs. Implementing ALS would be the anchor program of the Center for Social Action’s community-outreach initiative in building partnership and collaborative actions with the surrounding barangays. These would also facilitate involvements and cooperation from various CSB units and students to develop support system for ALS program sustainability. CSB-ALS is also a pro-active action that would benefit the out-of-school youth in the neighboring communities in terms of learning ability and the potential of future productivity – and targeting improved outcomes for this group has the ability to have widespread impact to their lives and to the CSB community. 

How would CSB-ALS be implemented?

The CSB-ALS program would be implemented in the community learning center to be set up in the collaboration with partner barangay and in CSB classroom during Saturdays. Students / Learners would come from deserving out-of-school youth and attend 3 hours modular sessions per day facilitated by volunteer CSB faculty. ALS modules would be provided and supplementary learning resource corner could be set up through the efforts of CSB volunteer students.

By August the learners would take the DepEd Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Exam and Continue ALS bridging programs up to March to prepare them in entering college or employment. They would be given a CSB certificate of completion in ALS Program and would gain High School diploma.