It has always been a dilemma for many out-of-school youth to be in a position where they would have to choose between pursuing their non-formal education with the Alternative Learning Systems (ALS) or to continue with their everyday means of livelihood to support themselves and their families.
Despite the fact that ALS learning programs and literacy classes are already the OSY’s second chances to education after they dropped out of school for many years or after they have neglected being at school for some other priorities in life, it seems that finding the required number of learners every school year for ALS is still aa burden for many ALS coordinators.
It is negative on the side of ALS but then we cannot really put all the blame to the learners for wanting to work and earn first more than to stay at school and study.
How can you really force the learners to stay at school when they would not have rice to cook nor fish to fry for lunch or dinner of the family? This is specially so when the learner is the head of the family.
And how can you ask the learner to come to school regularly when he earns his wage per day – no work no pay.
ALS learners, since they are OSY’s, normally do not land on good-paying jobs. They usually go for work like at the construction, house help, or any other day by day jobs which would just give enough to spend for the day.
With the given scenarios, how can we actually hold them in the classes if they do not have the money for that day to support their need for the same day?
It would really be very difficult for them to study and to finish classes when they are always beset with the family and financial problems. Education would not really their priority when their stomachs are already aching and twisting.
It would be difficult for the learners to understand that the reason why we keep them at school –to train them and to endow them with more skills, in order to land on better – paying jobs and more regular work.
However, as the learners, the main reason why to go to school and learn is to be able to find a job, and so if you already have a job, why do you still have to study?
There are two issues in a learner’s life when they would really have to make a choice – to study or to work.
Whatever they choose, it will always be their call. We all make our own choices and we really have to stand by these choices – no matter what the consequences may be.
It just has to be remembered that ALS will just be there to help them out to alleviate poverty and to provide them with better lives.
By: SYLVIA V. LOYOLA | ALS Coordinator | Morong District | Morong, Bataan
