Students of Alternative Learning System: Basis for Academic Performance

Every individual have the opportunity to be educated. In school, teachers developed all the dimension of students, their physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual values. They should learn the best knowledge, because as the saying says “learning is the key to success”. But unfortunately not all individuals are given a chance to be educated. There are out-of-school youth and dropouts students. One of its factors is maybe the financial problems. Students tend to stopped to seek job for their needs. So, the DepEd implemented a program which is Alternative Learning System (ALS) that helps students who cannot afford formal schooling. Alternative Learning System is a ladderized, modular non-formal education program in the Philippines for dropouts in elementary and secondary schools, out-of-school youths, non-readers, working Filipinos and even senior citizens. It is part of the education system of the Philippines but an alternative to the regular classroom studies where Filipino students are required to attend daily. The alternative system only requires students to choose schedules according to their choice and availability.

The Alternative Learning System Accreditation and Equivalency Test (ALS A&E) offers examiners certification of learning achievements equivalent to the elementary or secondary level of the formal school. The program has two different schematics for conducting instruction; school-based and community-based. On the school-based program, instructions are conducted in school campuses while in the community-based program, formal instruction are conducted in community halls or on private places. The ALS program follows uniform lesson modules for all academic subjects covering the sciences, mathematics, English, Filipino, social studies, current events among others. Deliveries of instructions are provided by government-paid instructors or by private non-government organization. ALS is the “parallel learning system that provides viable alternative to the existing formal basic education educational structure.” ALS covers both informal and nonformal education sub-systems. Nonformal education has methodical and organized learning outside the formal system.

Formal education is graded, structured, and regulated, and it happens over a preset time within the school premises. But the informal education is an ALS program offered to all interested individuals and geared towards “providing a learning experience/s based on an individual’s or group’s needs and/or common interests on his/her/their chosen social, civic, spiritual, cultural, recreational, wellness, economic, and other work-related activities for personal or community development.” (http://www.femalenetwork.com ) The Alternative Learning System or ALS is a non-formal approach to learning which provide the learner an alternative way to pursue their basic education thru learning on their own. It is a Non-Formal Curriculum Learning Modules prepared for two learning levels: Elementary and Secondary. The modules will prepare the learners to take the Accreditation and Equivalency (A & E) Test and if they pass the exam they will receive their elementary or secondary certificate. The diploma will be their ticket to pursue tertiary education or look for a better job.

The ALS A&E Learning Support Delivery System provides an alternative pathway of learning comparable to formal elementary or secondary school. There are five ( 5 ) learning strands in the system: Communication Skills, Problem Solving and Critical Thinking, Sustainable Use of Resources/productivity, Development of Self and a Sense of community and Expanding One’s World Vision. (http://122.2.11.54/site07/new/news/als/main.php )

The Alternative Learning System (ALS) is a kind of learning that knows no boundaries. The mobile teachers pass through squatters areas or deprived barangays, walk through rough and muddy roads, trek uncharted mountains for 10 kilometers more or less, or traverse rivers and swamps to bring basic education to the marginalized sectors of our society. On the other hand, the learners, as they are referred to in the system, convene in a shabby bahay-kubo, gather underneath a tree, or, if luck finds them, set up in a borrowed barangay hall, a basketball court, a jailhouse, a sports complex, or an abandoned office space—as if to approximate a classroom setting, all for the love of learning. – (http://securitymatters.com.ph/alternative-learning-system-3861/#sthash.DaY1iiuK.dpuf )

The Basic Education Act of 2001 mandates that education should also include alternative learning systems that can provide viable alternatives to different learning styles and needs of all learners, encompassing both non formal and informal education. It should be equal and of parallel importance to the formal system. Moreover, NFE/ALS should be guided by the philosophy of life-long learning as well as the recognition that the Philippines is characterized by a diverse, multi-cultural society. The Task Force NFE/ALS applies itself to developing these concepts further, contributing to creation of standards that will build a respected constituency in NFE/ALS at par with its formal counterparts, developing a balance between rigorous standards without providing piddling services, piloting ways of delivering such education to the special vulnerable groups, advocating for putting more resources in it. (http://www.e-netphil.org/cALS.html )

Both authors has its own style in expressing their idea and understanding but still it tells about that alternative learning system is a kind of education for all, specially for those people who are aiming to learned but financially unstable and physically disabled this will serve as the best opportunity that comes in their lives. There is no boundaries of learning in the side of the learners/student because all of they wanted to learned will be in calculated on them. This is a type of education that will burst out the hidden talents or potential of the students because this study is more on experiential, discovery and adventure.

The researcher undertakes this study in order to measure students’ academic performance in their field of specialization. The students of JRMSU Katipunan of Alternative Learning System (ALS) will serve as the respondents of this study wether they are excelling in their chosen course. It gives the researcher more clear perspective on how students from this said program perform or participate in the classroom academically.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study attempted to determine the academic performance of JRMSU student. As it answer the problem stated below:

* In what specific subject they are poor?
* What are the problems/difficulties are being encountered by the students

SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

This study is aiming to evaluate and determine the academic performance of the students considering that they are excelling in their field of specialization.

This study will benefit the following:
Students =) this study will help students discover their weaknesses and strength in academic performance. Teachers =) they will be informed what are the weaknesses of the students so that they will also motivated to help the students by molding them and developed their critical thinking in order to come up the best product of the university where the said student studied. Parents =) for them to be aware the academic performance of their children so that they can also help their child nurturing their mind because not all the time that school will help them but the important is that they play a big role in the lives of their children. Schools =) this study help the school to make a name in the society by producing productive students who are academically competitive individual. Researchers =) they can gain knowledge and enhanced their critical thinking by taking this study seriously. This will also serve as awareness for them for the future situation or carrier in life.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

This study will be conducted in JOSE RIZAL MEMORIAL STATE UNIVERSITY at Katipunan, Zamboanga del Norte. In order to determine the academic performance of the students in the year 2013 – 2014 1st semester. Probably, the respondents will be the BSBA, BSED/BEED & CRIMINOLOGY students. There are 22 respondents in all. This study starts from April 2013 to October 2013.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

These are the following difficult words that you can encounter through out the study. Academic =) the level of understanding of the students. Specialization =) course of study or major at an academic institution or may refer to the field that a specialist practices in. Alternative=) one of the things, propositions, or courses of action that can be chosen. Critical thinking =) is a way of deciding whether a claim is always true, sometimes true, partly true, or false Mobile teachers =) distributed in different rural areas to teach people who wanted to learn.