ALS project for out-of-school girls
PASIG CITY – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), the Department of Education (Deped), and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica) launched the “Better Life for Outof-School Girls to Fight Against Poverty and Injustice in the Philippines” project on July 12-14 at the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology (Seameo Innotech) in Quezon City.
The project aims to help improve the quality of life for girls living in poverty through the establishment and operation of a Girls Education Center. Furthermore, it endeavors to increase the passing rate among out-of-school girls who took the Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Test after completing the DepEd’s Alternative Learning System (ALS). The project also seeks to improve the quality of instructional knowledge and skills of ALS mobile teachers and implement the use of K to 12 ALS teaching and learning materials for out-of-school girls.
The pilot locations of the project will be in Tacloban City and the municipality of Palo in the province of Leyte.
“As we continue expanding and intensifying the delivery of education for all through K to 12 and ALS, we are thankful to partner organizations in helping us reach learners who are isolated by their varying personal circumstances,” Deped Secretary Leonor M. Briones said.
The project is anchored on a study that identified a multitude of challenges faced by learners, especially girls, resulting in dropping out of schools. These setbacks include economic, health, and social factors, among others. The generous support of the Government of the Republic of Korea, through Koica, made the $6 million-dollar project possible.
Korean Ambassador Kim Jae-Shin shared that, “As the new Philippine Development Plan has stressed, education is a cornerstone of sustainable and equitable development. In particular, appropriate educational services for vulnerable classes, such as out-of-school girls, are essential for enhancing social inclusion and welfare. In this regard, this project is very meaningful because it provides these girls with alternative learning opportunities and helps them complete their basic education.”