What Is an Alternative Learning System? The Philippines' ALS Explained

Short answer

• An alternative learning system (ALS) is a parallel system of education that gives people who missed or left formal schooling a structured way to learn and earn recognized certification. In practice, the phrase almost always refers to the Alternative Learning System run by the Philippines Department of Education (DepEd): a nationwide, government-run program for out-of-school children in special cases, out-of-school youth, and adults, anchored on a nonformal curriculum and ending in Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) assessments. Republic Act 11510, the Alternative Learning System Act signed on December 23, 2020, defines ALS as "a parallel learning system that provides a viable alternative to the existing formal education instruction," encompassing both nonformal and informal sources of knowledge and skills. ---

What Does “Alternative Learning System” Mean?

At its simplest, an alternative learning system is exactly what the name says: an alternative system of learning. It is not one school or one method. It is a full framework, run alongside the regular school system, that lets people who cannot sit in a classroom every day still gain the knowledge and credentials that formal education normally provides.

The word system matters. ALS is not a casual set of tutorials. It has a defined curriculum (the ALS K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum), trained teachers and facilitators, community-based venues, learning modules, and a national assessment and certification process. It operates at the same official level as formal basic education, but through different delivery: flexible schedules, community venues, self-paced modules, and recognition of learning that happens outside the classroom.

One clarification is worth making up front. In English generally, “alternative education” can describe anything from Montessori schools to homeschooling to unschooling, and that broad sense is how many dictionary-style references use the words. But when someone searches “alternative learning system meaning,” the overwhelming answer in the search results is the Philippines’ DepEd program. That is the dominant, specific meaning of the phrase, and this article explains it in depth, with a brief note at the end on the broader sense of the words.

The Legal Definition: Republic Act 11510

The most authoritative definition comes from the law that institutionalized the program. Section 4(g) of Republic Act No. 11510, the Alternative Learning System Act, defines the Alternative Learning System as:

“a parallel learning system that provides a viable alternative to the existing formal education instruction. It encompasses both nonformal and informal sources of knowledge and skills.”

Three parts of that sentence carry the meaning:

1. Parallel learning system. ALS runs alongside the formal school system, not underneath it. A learner can move between the two: for example, passing the elementary-level A&E assessment qualifies a learner to enroll in junior high school in the formal system.
2. Viable alternative to formal instruction. The law treats ALS as a genuine substitute for classroom schooling, not a watered-down version of it. The curriculum is benchmarked on the DepEd K to 12 formal school curriculum.
3. Nonformal and informal sources. ALS draws on two kinds of learning outside the conventional classroom. Nonformal education is organized learning that happens outside the formal school framework, while informal education is the learning people absorb from daily life, work, and experience. The law recognizes both as legitimate inputs into a learner’s education.

The Act was approved by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on December 23, 2020, after the Senate passed its consolidated version on October 6, 2020 and the House of Representatives on October 16, 2020.

Who Is ALS For?

ALS is designed for people the formal school system does not reach or has lost. The law names two main groups:

Out-of-school children in special cases. These are children of official school age who are not enrolled in elementary or secondary school because of barriers such as economic hardship, geography, political or cultural circumstances, or social marginalization. The category explicitly includes learners with disabilities or conditions, indigenous peoples, children in conflict with the law, learners in emergency situations, and other marginalized sectors.

Out-of-school youth and adults. These are people who did not complete basic education, including young people who dropped out of school and adults who never had the chance to finish. DepEd’s own operational definitions describe out-of-school adults as people at least 18 years of age who did not complete basic education, and list learners such as teenage mothers, socioeconomically disadvantaged learners, persons deprived of liberty, rebel returnees, and learners in emergency situations.

In practice, the program covers a wide human range: dropouts in elementary and secondary schools, out-of-school youth, non-readers, working people, and even senior citizens who want to read and write. What they share is not age or background but circumstance: they cannot or do not attend formal school on a regular schedule.

How ALS Works: Delivery, Not Just Curriculum

The distinctive feature of ALS is not only what it teaches but how it reaches learners. The program is built around the reality that its learners work, live far from schools, or have family responsibilities.

School-based and community-based delivery

ALS runs on two tracks. In the school-based track, learning sessions take place on school campuses. In the community-based track, sessions happen in community halls, barangay multi-purpose halls, libraries, or even learners’ homes. The venues for community-based learning are called Community Learning Centers (CLCs): physical spaces that house learning resources and facilities, and that serve as venues for face-to-face learning activities and other learning opportunities for community development.

Teachers who come to the learners

ALS teachers are DepEd-employed teachers who implement the program. In everyday language they are often called mobile teachers, because they travel to where the learners are rather than waiting for learners to come to them. They map potential learners in barangays, conduct social-mobilization drives to recruit them, and rotate among learning venues. Alongside them work Community ALS Implementors, people engaged by DepEd or by local government units to deliver ALS programs in communities, and Learning Facilitators, teachers financed by the private sector, including NGOs and civil society organizations, who implement ALS programs.

Modules, schedules, and pacing

Instead of a fixed class timetable, ALS uses learning modules as the primary teaching tool: structured materials containing activities, assessments, and guides that learners work through with their facilitator. The learner and the facilitator agree together on the schedule and location of learning sessions, so instruction bends around work shifts, caregiving, and distance rather than the other way around.

Before a learner begins, DepEd uses a Functional Literacy Test (FLT) to identify the learner’s literacy level, so modules can be matched to the learner’s actual starting point. The learner and facilitator then draw up an Individual Learning Agreement (ILA), which becomes the basis for tracking progress and the competencies the learner develops.

Modalities

The law authorizes a wide range of delivery methods, reflecting how varied learners’ situations are:

• Modular instruction (self-paced learning modules)
• Online, digital, or mobile learning
• Face-to-face learning sessions and tutorials
• Radio or television-based instruction
• Blended learning, combining modalities
• Workshops, simulations, and internships to build life skills, work readiness, and entrepreneurship
• Inclusive and safe learning environments, adapted to learners’ needs

The law also sets a minimum number of months DepEd must prescribe for completing each ALS program, so flexibility does not mean an open-ended drift: learners are expected to complete the competencies of the curriculum within a defined period.

The Five Core Programs

Under Section 8 of the Alternative Learning System Act, DepEd implements a range of priority nonformal education programs. The five named programs are:

1. Basic Literacy Program (BLP). The program component aimed at eradicating illiteracy among out-of-school children in special cases and adults. It develops basic literacy skills: reading, writing, numeracy, and simple comprehension. It is the entry point for learners who cannot yet read and write.

2. Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Programs. The pathway for school dropouts to complete elementary and secondary education outside the formal school system. The A&E process ends in assessments and certification that are formally equivalent to completing the corresponding formal level.

3. Indigenous Peoples Education Program. A program supporting education initiatives undertaken through formal, nonformal, and informal modalities, with emphasis on indigenous knowledge systems and practices, indigenous languages, indigenous learning systems, community history, and the engagement of elders and community members in teaching, assessment, and management.

4. Academic-Focused Bridging Programs. Continuing learning opportunities for A&E secondary-level test passers who want to better prepare for the academic demands and study skills requirements of tertiary education or post-secondary vocational training, or both.

5. Functional Education and Literacy Programs. Short-term nonformal education programs designed to help socioeconomically disadvantaged learners upgrade a targeted set of skills, knowledge, and selected competencies, so they can function more effectively as citizens, parents, workers, and community members.

The A&E Test and Certification: What “Equivalency” Means

The A&E process is the mechanism that makes ALS qualifications formally equivalent to regular schooling. Understanding it is the key to understanding what ALS actually delivers.

What the assessment covers

The A&E assessments and certifications comprise exams and other appropriate assessments anchored on the competencies of the ALS K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum. The curriculum itself is benchmarked on the DepEd K to 12 formal school curriculum and focuses on 21st-century skills: information, media and technology skills, learning and innovation skills, communication skills, and life and career skills.

The law provides for A&E at three levels - elementary, junior high school, and senior high school. The most recent administrations (2025 and 2025-2026) covered the elementary and junior high school levels. Recent administrations have been paper-and-pencil examinations covering six learning areas: communication skills in Filipino and English, scientific literacy and critical thinking, mathematics, life and career skills, understanding self and society, and digital literacy.

The passing score

To determine passers, DepEd sets an overall passing score of 60.00 percent for both the elementary and junior high school levels. (The threshold was lowered to 60 percent from the previously set 75 percent in 2018, under DepEd Memorandum No. 76, series of 2018.) Examinees scoring between 50.00 and 59.99 percent are considered conditional passers and must undergo a two-week learning enhancement organized by their community learning center, district, or schools division office.

What passing makes possible

Passing is not merely symbolic. The law spells out the pathway each level opens:

• Elementary-level passers are qualified to enroll in junior high school, in a formal school or in ALS.
• Junior high school-level passers are qualified for senior high school, or may enroll in selected technical-vocational education and training programs through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
• Senior high school-level passers are qualified for higher education, provided they meet the other basic requirements.

A&E passers receive a Certificate of Rating and a diploma equivalent to elementary or junior high school completion, carrying the Department of Education seal and the logos of the ALS program and the issuing schools division office. The credential may be used for further education or employment. The A&E examination itself is free to examinees, which matters for the program’s target population.

Recent test cycle, date-stamped

The most recently reported national A&E administration covered here was the 2025-2026 cycle: the test was held on March 29, 2026, with results released on June 3, 2026. Earlier cycles include the 2025 A&E Test, administered on January 26, 2025 for the Luzon cluster and February 2, 2025 for the Visayas and Mindanao clusters.

A Short History of the Program

ALS did not begin in 2020. The 2020 law institutionalized a program that had been operating for years:

• Pre-2001. Nonformal education in the Philippines was run largely through livelihood skills training, with basic reading and writing folded into the modules.
• 2001. Republic Act No. 9155, the Governance of Basic Education Act, set the framework within which ALS programs operated. Section 25 of RA 11510 later provided that all existing ALS programs established under RA 9155 would continue under the new Act.
• 2004. The Department of Education launched the ALS program in its modern form. Executive Order No. 356 (September 2004) renamed the Bureau of Non-Formal Education to the Bureau of Alternative Learning System, charging it with a systematic and flexible approach to reaching learners outside the formal school system.
• 2020. Republic Act No. 11510, the Alternative Learning System Act, institutionalized ALS and created the Bureau of Alternative Education (BAE) as the focal office for implementing ALS programs within DepEd. The law appropriated funds for the program.
• 2021. The Department of Budget and Management approved the creation of the BAE in May 2021, with two functional divisions: the Policy and Quality Assurance Division and the Program Management and System Development Division.
• 2020s. The program was enhanced as ALS 2.0, anchored on the ALS K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum, with a five-year strategic roadmap running 2019 to 2024.
• 2026. DepEd Order No. 1, series of 2026, issued in January 2026, provided new nationwide delivery guidelines: competencies aligned with the K to 12 curriculum, formal recognition of flexible learning options, prior learning, and micro-certifications, and clearly defined ALS pathways covering Basic Literacy, A&E at elementary and junior high school levels, and senior high school.

The Scale of ALS: Numbers With Dates

ALS is one of the largest alternative-education programs in the world, but it faces persistent scale and completion challenges. Figures below are date-stamped and sourced.

The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), citing DepEd data, reported in its Year Two Report that ALS enrollment averages around 600,000 learners per year. For school year 2023-2024, 655,517 learners enrolled, and 302,807 of them, or about 46 percent, completed the program. That same report estimated the out-of-school youth population at roughly 4.9 million, meaning ALS was reaching only a small share, about 12 percent, of its potential target population.

DepEd’s own program data, published through the ALS 2.0 documentation, shows enrollment and completion by school year:

School year	Enrollees	Completers
2016-2017	688,024	450,550
2017-2018	665,567	475,352
2018-2019	836,542	534,255
2019-2020	816,417	553,345
2020-2021	671,373	402,055
2021-2022	550,427	(not published in the same table)

Completion has been a long-standing challenge. EDCOM II noted that for school year 2023-2024, about 54 percent of enrollees did not finish, attributing much of the dropout to socioeconomic factors: the need to work, lack of financial support, lack of interest, marriage, and bullying, among other reasons.

The Broader Meaning: “Alternative Education” in General

The Philippines’ ALS is the dominant specific meaning of the phrase “alternative learning system,” but the words are sometimes used in a broader sense. In general English usage, alternative education means education that diverges in some way from conventional schooling. Encyclopaedia Britannica defines it as education that diverges from what conventional schools offer, with examples in publicly funded schools, private schools, and homeschooling curricula; the focus might be on alternative structures, alternative subject matter, or different relationships between students and teachers.

Familiar examples of the broad sense include Montessori education, with its emphasis on child-led, self-directed activity; Waldorf education; open classrooms; democratic schools; and homeschooling. These share with ALS the idea that learning does not have to happen in a conventional classroom, but they are philosophically different: most of them are pedagogical choices made by families or schools, while ALS is a government-designed system for people the formal system missed.

When you see “Alternative Learning System” capitalized with the acronym ALS, in the overwhelming majority of cases it refers to the Philippines’ DepEd program. The broader, lowercase sense is a general phrase, not a proper name.

What ALS Is Not

A few boundaries keep the meaning precise:

• ALS is not a replacement for school for everyone. DepEd’s policy, stated in the law itself, is that school-age children should be enrolled in formal education. ALS exists to serve those outside it and to help dropouts return to it, not to compete with it.
• Currently enrolled formal-school students are barred from the program. ALS is reserved for out-of-school learners; a student sitting in a regular classroom cannot simultaneously enroll.
• Passing the A&E does not by itself guarantee a job. The certificate is a recognized credential for further education or employment, but employment outcomes depend on the labor market and the individual, as with any diploma.
• Livelihood and skills training is a separate track. Under the current system, skills training is handled by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), not by ALS itself, though junior high school A&E passers can move into TESDA programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the full meaning of ALS in the Philippines? ALS stands for Alternative Learning System. It is a parallel learning system under the Philippines Department of Education that provides a practical alternative to formal instruction for out-of-school children in special cases, out-of-school youth, and adults. It was institutionalized by Republic Act No. 11510, the Alternative Learning System Act, in December 2020.

Is ALS the same as alternative education? Not exactly. “Alternative education” is a broad term for any education that diverges from conventional schooling, including Montessori schools, Waldorf schools, and homeschooling. ALS is a specific, government-run Philippine program. In search results and everyday use, “Alternative Learning System” (capitalized, often shortened to ALS) means the Philippine program.

Who can enroll in ALS? Out-of-school children in special cases, out-of-school youth, and adults who did not complete basic education. This includes school dropouts, working people, indigenous peoples, learners with disabilities, teenage mothers, persons deprived of liberty, and learners in emergency situations. Learners currently enrolled in formal school are not eligible.

Is ALS free? ALS is a public program run by the Department of Education, and the A&E examination itself is free. Learners do not pay tuition for the program’s core services.

How long does ALS take? There is no single fixed duration. The law requires DepEd to prescribe a minimum number of months for each ALS program so learners complete the required competencies, but pacing is flexible: the learner and the learning facilitator agree on the schedule, and learners work through modules at a pace that fits their circumstances.

What happens if I pass the A&E test? An elementary-level pass qualifies you for junior high school. A junior high school-level pass qualifies you for senior high school or for TESDA technical-vocational programs. A senior high school-level pass qualifies you for higher education, subject to the other basic requirements. Passers receive a Certificate of Rating and a diploma equivalent to elementary or junior high school completion, usable for further education or employment.

What is the passing score for the A&E test? DepEd sets an overall passing score of 60.00 percent for both the elementary and junior high school levels. Examinees scoring between 50.00 and 59.99 percent are considered conditional passers and must complete a two-week learning enhancement through their community learning center, district, or schools division office.

What is ALS 2.0? ALS 2.0 is the enhanced ALS program anchored on the ALS K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum. It grew out of reforms begun in 2016 to strengthen, intensify, and expand the program, including a five-year strategic roadmap covering 2019 to 2024.

Where do ALS learning sessions take place? At school-based sites or in community venues called Community Learning Centers, which can be school-based or community-based physical spaces. Sessions may also happen in barangay halls, libraries, or learners’ homes, at a schedule and location agreed between the learner and the facilitator.

What is a Community Learning Center? A Community Learning Center is a physical space that houses the learning resources and facilities of an ALS learning program for out-of-school children in special cases and adults. It is the venue for face-to-face learning activities and other learning opportunities for community development and the improvement of people’s quality of life.

Keep reading: How to Learn Online: A Practical Guide That Actually Works

Sources & references

• Republic Act No. 11510, "An Act Institutionalizing the Alternative Learning System in Basic Education for Out-of-School Children in Special Cases and Adults and Appropriating Funds Therefor," Supreme Court E-Library, (full text of the Alternative Learning System Act: definitions, programs, A&E assessment, pathways, approval date December 23, 2020)
• Department of Education, "Creation of the Bureau of Alternative Education (BAE)" (DepEd Order reproduced by TeacherPH), (official definitions of ALS, ALS 2.0, ALS K to 12 BEC, ALS learners, Community Learning Centers, nonformal and informal education; BAE creation and divisions)
• "Alternative Learning System (Philippines)," Wikipedia, (program overview: 2004 launch, RA 11510 history, delivery modes, FLT/ILA process, enrollment table 2016-2022)
• Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), "Gatchalian seeks increased completion rates among ALS learners," (Year Two Report figures: ~600,000 average annual enrollment; 302,807 of 655,517 completing in SY 2023-2024; 4.9 million out-of-school youth)
• Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Alternative education," (definition of alternative education in the broad sense; Montessori, homeschooling examples)
• The Summit Express, "ALS A&E Exam Results 2025-2026 Elementary Level," (2026 test held March 29, 2026, results June 3, 2026; 60 percent passing score; conditional passers 50-59.99 percent; certificate and diploma details)
• The Summit Express, "ALS A&E Exam Results 2024-2025 Elementary Level," (2025 cycle dates: test administered January 26, 2025 for the Luzon cluster and February 2, 2025 for the Visayas and Mindanao clusters; read 24 Oct 2026)
• The Summit Express, "ALS A&E Exam Results 2025-2026 Secondary Level," (secondary-level test coverage: six learning areas; passing score history from 75 to 60 percent)
• Philippine Information Agency, "DepEd expands ALS toward flexible pathways for out-of-school learners," (DepEd Order No. 1, s. 2026: standardized nationwide delivery, prior-learning recognition, micro-certifications, defined pathways)
• DepEd NCR Learning Management System, ALS 2.0 course category page, (official DepEd description of ALS as a parallel system for out-of-school youth and adults; ALS 2.0 reforms context)