On June 4, 2019, the Department of Education launched the Alternative Learning System-Education and Skills Training (ALS-EST) Handbook for Implementers. Some of the essential topics featured in the book are identification of prevalent challenges on locating and reaching the Out-of-School Children, Youth and Adults (OSCYAs) and the underlying reasons; elaboration of the ALS-EST Program; in-depth walk through of the ALS K to 12 Curriculum, especially the integration of Education and Skills Training Competencies; description of different types and access to Learning Resources; and sharing of Key Elements of ALS-EST Learning Delivery including delivery modes and teaching strategies and empowerment of learner support mechanisms. The said manual is yet another legacy of DepEd and its partners’ unwavering commitment to intensify and expand the regular ALS Program, one of the priority areas of DepEd Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones as included in her 10 Point Agenda.
The said launching, spearheaded by Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Nepomuceno A. Malaluan, Chairperson of ALS-EST Program Management Team, was participated in by Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Service (PAS) and ALS Program and Task Force G.H. S. Ambat and other DepEd officials, external education stakeholders, development partners and media personnel. The ALS-EST handbook was produced in partnership with SEAMEO Innotech, and Australian Aid, through its Basic Education Sector Transformation (BEST) program.
As concluded by Usec. Malaluan during the event, “beyond the knowledge and skills, the whole ALS-EST Program aims to articulate attitudes and values that implementers and learners, working together as a community, will nurture as part of identity building… Non-formal education (NFE) is not second-class education.” ALS-EST is an enhancement of the mainstream ALS Program by systematically integrating the skills training component into the curriculum which tantamount to parallel delivery of the basic education and skills training.
A total of 98 volunteer DepEd schools, and 7 non-DepEd implementing partners also joined the said milestone held at SEAMEO, Innotech in Quezon City.
