LINGAYEN — Gov. Amado Espino, Jr. has commended the Department of Education for promoting the Alternative Learning System (ALS), a program that encourages non-formal, informal and indigenous learning systems.

The governor cited the importance of development of human infrastructure, which he considers one of the priority thrusts of his administration in a speech during the 2nd Annual ALS Consultative Conference at Covelandia in Labrador.

He said ALS answers the need for alternative routes to educational success and provides opportunities for less fortunate individuals who do not have the means to acquire formal education like marginalized learners such as street children, indigenous people, farmers, fisherfolks, women, adolescents, solo parents living in conflict areas not reached by formal school system.

The governor, however, emphasized the importance of formal education, for the word ‘alternative’ connotes remedial measures for those who failed to acquire learning through the normal education system.

Espino said close collaboration among various sectors in youth-serving systems   that include school and   youth employment and training programs, child protective service agencies, mental health and abuse treatment agencies, crisis prevention centers and youth shelters is needed to effectively address the learning needs of the people particularly the dropouts or out-of-school youth.

Statistics show that two years ago, an estimated 16 million persons or 20 percent of the total Philippine population were school dropouts, indicating that about12 million children of school age are not in school which is almost about the same number as those in-school.

Pangasinan to date has a total of 505,232 in-school enrollees in elementary and secondary level both in public and private schools.

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