DAVAO CITY—Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has created a unit for alternative learning system (ALS) in the city in a bid to to encourage the out-of school youth and adults te enroll and improve their educational attainment.
Duterte-Carpio issued on September 20, 2021 Executive Order 46, otherwise known as “An Executive Order Creating The Alternative Learning Systems Unit of Davao City, Defining Its Functions, And For Other Purposes.”
The EO would address the difficulty among a number of Filipino children and youth to avail of formal basic education or those who are unable to sustain school attendance, and eventually drop out of school despite the increasing accessibility of formal basic education.
“There is a need to create an Alternative Learning System Unit of this city in order to facilitate the Alternative Learning System-Education Skills Training [hereinafter referred to as ‘ALS-EST Program in the city’],” she said.
The ALS is one of the mode of the Department of Education’s offer of flexible learning options, which also includes the alternative delivery codes, to help address the pressing concern, the city information office said.
The ALS Unit shall be composed of the city mayor as chairperson, Sangguniang Panlungsod chairperson on the Committee of Education as co-chairman, and the Public Schools District Supervisor and Division Alternative Learning System Focal Person as focal persons. The members are the Public Employment Service Office, City Information Technology Center, Schools Division Superintendent, Department of Education-Region 11, Association of Barangay Captain (ABC) president; and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) president.
The unit would formulate programs, policies, and strategies for the implementation of the ALS-EST Program in the city, prepare short, medium, and long term plans in relation to the implementation of the programs, policies, and strategies of the ALS-EST Program in the city.
The unit would recommend allocation of resources and ensure appropriate funds for the ALS and to closely monitor the number of out-of-school youth in every barangay of this city.