A Second Chance to Develop the Human Capital of Out-of-School Youth and Adults : The Philippines Alternative Learning System
Worldwide, approximately 781 million adults are unable to read or write in any language. While adult literacy rates have increased significantly over the past several decades, recent progress largely reflects a more-educated younger generation repl...
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| Format: | Policy Note |
| Language: | English |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2018
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/539131530792186404/A-second-chance-to-develop-the-human-capital-of-out-of-school-youth-and-adults-the-Philippines-alternative-learning-system http://hdl.handle.net/10986/30064 |
| Summary: | Worldwide, approximately 781 million
adults are unable to read or write in any language. While
adult literacy rates have increased significantly over the
past several decades, recent progress largely reflects a
more-educated younger generation replacing a less-education
older generation. The Philippines has made remarkable
progress in improving its public basic education system over
the past decade, yet half of Filipino students fail to
complete the full cycle of basic education. While lowering
the dropout rate is a top priority of the Philippine
Department of Education (DepEd), much can be done to improve
the educational and employment prospects of those who have
already dropped out. For the past five decades, DepEd has
operated parallel education systems for youth and adults who
did not complete basic formal education. The current
incarnation of the Alternative Learning System (ALS)
includes two core components, the Basic Literacy Program and
the Accreditation and Equivalency (A and E) Programs.
Obtaining this credential enables ALS participants to apply
to higher education and training institutions or to jobs
that require a high school education. In partnership with
DepEd, the World Bank conducted a series of assessments of
the ALS designed to shed light on the obstacles it faces and
assist the government in developing a strategy to address
them.This policy note summarizes the empirical evidence
obtained from these assessments and other program data and
presents policy options to increase the effectiveness of the
ALS. This policy note is divided into six sections.
Following the introduction,the second section describes the
ALS and its target population. The third section examines
demand-side challenges and identifies strategies for
supporting ALS participants. The fourth section considers
supply-side challenges and outlines priorities for
strengthening the implementation of the ALS. The fifth
section evaluates the returns generated by the ALS, and the
sixth section recommends policies to expand its scope and
enhance its impact. |
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