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Alternative education offers hope in the Philippines

Tens of thousands forced to drop out of school due to poverty working toward diplomas
Alternative education offers hope in the Philippines

 Andrea Zaala (Photo by Ronald Reyes)

Published: June 24, 2015 09:16 AM GMT
Updated: June 23, 2015 10:16 PM GMT

As a child, Andrea Zaala dreamed of finishing school but poverty pulled her in another direction. The Leyte province native later got married, had children and moved on with her life. But even as she struggled to raise her family and care for her farm, she didn’t forget her original goal.

Last week, at the age of 75, Zaala donned her freshly pressed gown and waited for her name to be called to finally receive her high school diploma.

She was joined by some 700 "out-of-school youths" and mature students, who participated in a simple — but meaningful — graduation ceremony after passing the Education Department's Alternative Learning System program.

"This means everybody can do it. Whatever the age and status in life, as long as you are willing, you can achieve your dream," Zaala told ucanews.com.

As she walked to the stage, her daughter and granddaughter looked on proudly.

"I am very happy for her," said Medarda Macellones, 35, one of Andrea's six children.

For the 700 people who graduated last week, passing represents a real accomplishment. Roberto Mangaliman, supervisor for the government's alternative learning program in Leyte province, said the returnee students face significant obstacles.

"Most of them are already working and the older ones have families to attend to," he told ucanews.com. "We have student dropouts, too.”

Mangaliman said public support for such students is necessary "so that they will not feel like outcasts".

He called on the private sector to partner with the government to ensure that these learners "will have the same opportunity in life".

In 2001, the Philippine government established the alternative learning program to address the needs of those who did not have the chance to receive basic education because of poverty.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority released in April this year show that "one in every ten or about four million Filipino children and youth were out-of-school in 2013".

"Out-of-school children" are those between six to 14 years of age who are not attending school, while "out-of-school youth" are those age 15 to 24 years who are not attending school, have not finished any college or post secondary course, and are not working.

A 2013 functional literacy, education and mass media survey revealed that about 23 percent of the four million out-of-school children and youth stopped attending school after getting married. 

Nineteen percent cited insufficient family income as the reason for not attending school. Another 19 percent said they “lacked interest” in schooling.

The alternative program, however, appears to have made real gains.

A decade on, nationwide functional literacy is up. Data from the National Statistics Office shows that in 2000, the Philippines had a 92.3 percent literacy rate. Ten years later, it rose to 97.5 percent.

The Alternative Learning System is not done in a formal school setting. Students gather in community learning centers, under the shade of a tree, in a house, or in a village hall. 

There are about 4,000 centers across the country with about 1,000 teachers serving some 50,000 students. 

Mark Loyd Lago, 25, from St Michael village in the town of Palo, finished high school with Zaala last week.

Lago quit school in 2004 and for ten years worked various odd jobs. "Soon I realized that my elementary diploma was not enough," he said.

"I don’t want my future family to suffer," Lago said when asked why he went back to school. His future plans include studying agriculture at college level.

His mother, Lozanta, cried seeing her son receiving his diploma. "I pity him. He had to stop going to school because of poverty, but we never lost hope," she said.

"I am thankful that there is this kind of government program. This gave Mark a second chance," Lozanta said.

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