TABUK CITY, Kalinga – To reach out to the non-literates in the city, and ensure that learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to relevant learning and life skills, the Schools Division Office (SDO) of Tabuk City is reinforcing its role in the literacy development of learners under the Alternative Learning System (ALS).
Believing that education is the cornerstone to development, Jan Nowel Peña, OIC Assistant SD Superintendent, during the occasion of the Literacy Coordinating Council (LCC) and Planning Conference held at Davidson Hotel said everyone is entitled to lifelong learning opportunity even those who were unschooled for many years.
Learners from the ALS are able to contribute to developmental and community goals, but ALS should not be a substitute to formal education, he reminded.
City Councilor Eduardo Sacayle, Chairman, Committee on Education, in his message before the invited barangay officials and ALS teachers highlighted the role of communities to foster and promote literacy skills among learners and individuals in the areas of building a culture of literacy, strengthening intercultural and inclusive teaching, recognizing vital role of communities in literacy development, and advancing literacy through research and development.
The LCC is a national policy-making advisory and coordinating body that provides over-all policy and program direction to eradicate illiteracy in the country. It has five program pillars called LIYAB which stands for ‘Likha’, ‘Ilaw’, ‘Yaman’, ‘Aruga’, and ‘Buklod’, which represent the five key result areas of the LCC namely policy research and development; advocacy, social mobilization and partnership; knowledge management; learning and organizational development; and LCC localization.
Based on the records of SDO Tabuk City, there are 487 enrolled learners from the ALS this school year. Of this, 53 learners are enrolled under Basic Literacy Program, 69 in elementary and 365 in junior high school. Additionally, there are 15 ALS teachers from the 26 accredited ALS centers in the city. By Darwin S. Serion
