DepEd aligns ALS with K-12 curriculum

MANILA, Philippines -  The Department of Education (DepEd) has released an updated curriculum for the Alternative Learning System (ALS) to align with the K to 12 basic education curriculum.

DepEd Assistant Secretary G.H. Ambat said the new curriculum will strengthen the ALS program and give out-of-school youth better learning opportunities outside the formal education system.

“We are true to our mandate that no learner (will be) left behind. With this new curriculum, we hope that the ALS learners (will) have the same quality of education so they can avail themselves of the four exits of K-12: higher education, employment, entrepreneurship or middle-level skills development,” Ambat said.

DepEd’s Bureau of Curriculum Development director Jocelyn Andaya said it took two years to release the revised curriculum, as they had to conduct a comprehensive review and consultation process with experts in formal and non-formal education.

“The outputs of workshops were further reviewed by national and international consultants, DepEd subject experts, and ALS learning practitioners, supervisors and other ALS stakeholders,” she added.

Ambat said the new ALS curriculum hopes to dispel notions of disparity between ALS graduates and graduates from the formal system, noting that it now gives equivalency options and alternative programs similar to formal schooling that will allow learners to move and transfer seamlessly from one education system to another.

DepEd said the ALS curriculum reflects the set of knowledge, skills and competencies that learners should develop to meet the minimum requirement of basic education similar to the formal education system.

Assessments will also be conducted to ensure the readiness of learners who went through the ALS program.

“For ALS to be truly parallel with the formal education system, same standards and competencies are set for both in the K-12 curriculum to achieve the goal of producing holistically developed Filipinos with 21st century skills,” the DepEd said.

“Although the framework is organized in strands, the intention is that instruction should be created around topics of importance to learners,” it added.