PICTO-NARRATIVE REPORT ON ALS PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

NARRATIVE REPORT ON ALS PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

 A. Introduction 

         Education is life itself. As long as man lives, the influence of education remains tangible in his actions and demeanor. Good and proper education is inalienable and lasting. In fact, the economic grandeur of a society depends largely on the education of its citizens. With proper education, a man is most likely going to be successful in his chosen career. He is impossible to deceive but easy to lead. He could easily cope with the drastic changes and uncertainties that the modern world offers nowadays so much withstand the crucial test of times. However, some if not many of us just do not take heed of the paramount importance of education. Some are just contented of the livelihood they have at present, which they inherited from their parents such as but not limited to fishing, farming, vending and the like. Many resorted to this kind of living without foreseeing the importance of education most especially the emergence and advent of Science and Technology. Moreover, this indifference towards education has is triggered by considerable constraints such as poverty, inaccessibility to formal schooling, lack of interest to pursue degree courses and lack of motivation, among others. As a result, the Department of Education in cooperation with the different concerned agencies implemented a high time program called EFA or Education for All in the year 2015 and beyond in which one of the major implementers of this program as partner of the formal system is the Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS). One bureau of the Department of Education with the general goal of eradicating illiteracy and catering quality and excellent basic education to out-of-school youth (OSY), out-of-school children (OSA) and out-of-school children (OSC) who are the direct beneficiaries l of the projects and programs of the BALS. To this extent, the ALS service provider of the Guiuan South district found it not only best but also imperative to conduct Accreditation and Equivalency as well as Literacy cum Livelihood Program to specific areas of the district where viable alternative mode of learning is necessary.  

B. Implementation/Activities 

  1. Advocacy and Social Mobilization 

        Prior to the implementation of the Literacy cum Livelihood program (LCL), the ALS coordinator was already aware that the Brgy. Folks were collecting, treating shells and turning them into elegant and exquisite by-products, which they called shell craft. The preceding NFE coordinators already introduced these livelihood skills, in fact there was already a cooperative organized for the production of shell by-products although it was disbanded due to poor management and lack of follow-up by the organizers. Eventually, a courtesy call to the Barangay chief executive was undertaken and made an arrangement when he can lobby in one of their sessions. Consequently, the ALS Coordinator attended one barangay monthly meeting and after he introduced the different ALS Programs, the council members positively accepted them; in fact, they allocated enough amounts for the reproduction of materials for the functional literacy test and other needed materials for the projected learners such as notebooks, papers, ball pens and plastic envelopes as portfolio. Moreover, the council also permitted the DALSC to use the Barangay Hall (whenever session is not held), the day care center and Barangay Multi-purpose hall and its facilities as learning centers while the program is going on. 

  2. Enrolment Procedure 

         Barangay Barbo is divided by purok hence; the ALS Coordinator was opted to request the Barangay Council member in-charge each purok to list down names of potential clientele particularly plain housewives who are willing to attend the Literacy cum Livelihood program. The endeavor was supervised by the Barangay Council member designated as the committee chairperson on education. After the data were gathered by the chairman on education, he asked the assistance of the Barangay Chairperson to gather the interested learners to the Barangay Plaza. The implementer chose the Barangay Plaza as venue to publicly advocate the program its scope and contents, so that, massive awareness will be ensured not only to the target learners but also to the Barangay constituents as well as stakeholders. As a result, The ALS Coordinator was able to open the Literacy cum Livelihood program. 

 3. Assessment 

        Primarily, to determine the entry level of the potential learners who are willing to enroll in the Literacy cum Livelihood Program, the facilitator conducted assessment for functional literacy. The copies of the Functional Literacy Test Materials (FLT) sponsored by the Brgy. Council, materials are officially designed to assess the entry point for the enrollees on LCL program, the facilitator administered and corrected the said test. 

  4. Actual Conduct of Classes and Trainings 

        Consequently, after the holding of assessment for the entry level of learners and after having corrected and determined where to commence, the facilitator organized the class by setting standards in which they the learners are the ones who suggested and approved. The facilitator likewise asked the learners the things they want to learn and wrote them in a piece of paper so that it formed part of the Individual Learning Agreement (ILA) that the facilitator had considered as learning sessions went on. When to hold classes to the convenience of the working learners was also agreed upon. During the actual conduct of the program, the facilitator tapped the assistance of resource persons whose expertise is the making of salable shell by-products. The learners easily learned the skills taught to them since they were already exposed to the said craft, besides they were already selling lace and curtains made from treated seashells. In the course of the program, the DALSC also encouraged his learners to attend trainings sponsored by the Local Government Unit (LGU), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The said trainings were centered on the utility of native materials popularly known in our mother tongue as (buri and tikog) , weaved into beautiful and fashionable bags and other by-products of these indigenous materials. This endeavor of the LGU supported by the DTI and DOST was very productive as well as successful since the learners who have painstakingly attended these trainings are now producing bags and other useful materials at par with the products of Leyte, an established manufacturer of elegant bags made of buri, tikog or pangdan.  

C. Problems Encountered  

Every program implementation is coupled with indispensable constraints, which educate the facilitator so that better strategies would be employed in the ensuing endeavor. Among the problems met during the ten (10) months implementation of the Literacy cum Livelihood program are: 

 1. Reluctance and doubt of some people regarding the benefits of the ALS programs 

2. Irregular attendance of learners in the learning sessions conducted 

 3. Lack of learners’ interest and enthusiasm 

 4. Diminishing number of attending learners 

 5. Insufficient supply of learning materials/modules

 6. Lack of financial assistance from the government 

 D. Solutions/Recommendations: 

        The following solutions and recommendations are highly recommended to address the prevailing constraints: 

 1. Intensify advocacy and social mobilization with the emphasis on bringing to public attention the manifold benefits of various programs and projects of the Alternative Learning System. 

  2. Integrate livelihood program vis-à-vis the major programs of the ALS to encourage attendance and active participation of the learners. 

 3. Adopt the system of direct instruction utilizing various kinds of learning strategies and providing learners with different activities to stir up their interest.