Flexible
Learning Strategies
!"#
"
Outcome Document
Flexible
Learning Strategies
!"#
"
Outcome Document
Published by UNESCO Bangkok
Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education
Mom Luang Pin Malakul Centenary Building
920 Sukhumvit Road, Prakanong, Klongtoey
Bangkok 10110, Thailand
© UNESCO 2013
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Design/Layout: Warren Field
Cover photo © UNESCO Islamabad
TH/DOC/APL/13/028-E
I
Table of Contents
Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... VI
Background ..................................................................................................................................... VIII
Summary of Regional Meeting .......................................................................................................... IX
PART ONE
Introduction to ALPs
Session 1 Keynote Speeches .................................................................................................... 1
Why Alternative Learning/Schooling Programmes for Primary Education are
a Crucial Strategy to Reach the Unreached .............................................................................. 1
Dr Ros Morpeth, National Extension College, The Michael Young Centre, Cambridge, UK
Reaching the Unreached: No More Missing Halves? ............................................................... 2
Prof. Keith Lewin, Director of the Consortium for Education Access, Transitions and Equity (CREATE), University of Sussex
Session 2 Introduction to ALPs ................................................................................................. 7
PART TWO
Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
Section 1: Policy and Framework .................................................................................... 17
1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 17
1.2 Country cases............................................................................................................................. 19
Case presentation 1: Alternative learning system/schooling programmes for Primary
Education to Reach the Unreached (Philippines) ......................................................................... 19
Case presentation 2: Alternative Learning/Special Training in India (India) .................................. 21
Case presentation 3: Alternative Learning Programmes for Primary Education to Reach
the Unreached through “Paket A”-1 (Indonesia) ......................................................................... 24
1.3 Recommendations drawn from country case presentations........................................................ 27
II
Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
Section 2 Curriculum and Instruction................................................................................... 29
2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 29
2.2 Country cases............................................................................................................................. 32
Case presentation 4: ALS Curriculum and Instruction: Nature and Processes (Philippines) .......... 32
Case presentation 5: Non-Formal Primary Education and Equivalency (Bangladesh).................. 34
Case presentation 6: Alternative Learning Programmes for Primary Education to Reach
the Unreached through “Paket A”-2 (Indonesia) ......................................................................... 36
Case presentation 7: An overview of Alternative Learning Programmes in Nepal (Nepal) ........... 37
Case presentation 8: Achieving Peace through Accelerated Learning Programmes (Sri Lanka) ... 40
2.3. Recommendations drawn from country case presentations ....................................................... 41
Section 3 Teacher/Facilitator Requirements, Recruitment and Training......................... 43
3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 43
3.2 Country cases............................................................................................................................. 44
Case presentation 9: Training for Residential Bridge Course Facilitators in India (India) .............. 44
Case presentation 10: Alternative Learning Programmes for Primary Education to Reach the
Unreached Through “Paket A” -3 (Indonesia) .............................................................................. 46
Case presentation 11: Case from Thailand: Hill Tribe Schools (Thailand) ...................................... 48
3.3 Recommendations drawn from country case presentations........................................................ 49
Section 4: Assessment of Learning Outcomes.......................................................... 51
4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 51
4.2 Country cases............................................................................................................................. 51
Case presentation 12: Assessment of Learning Outcomes of Students in BRAC
School (Bangladesh) ................................................................................................................... 51
Case presentation 13: Alternative Learning Programmes for Primary Education to Reach the
Unreached Through “Paket A”-4 (Indonesia)............................................................................... 56
Case presentation 14: Assessment in Alternative Learning System/Schooling Programmes
for Primary Education to Reach the Unreached (Philippines) ....................................................... 57
4.3 Recommendations drawn from country case presentations........................................................ 58
PART ONE: Introduction to ALPs
Section 5: Logistics and Management Including Budgeting and Resource
Mobilization and M&E ................................................................................................................ 59
5.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 59
5.2 Country cases............................................................................................................................. 60
Case presentation 15: The Alternative Learning System in the Philippines (Philippines) ............... 60
Case presentation 16: Management of an Alternative Learning Programme:
A Perspective by CARE India (India) ............................................................................................ 63
Case presentation 17: Multiple Pathways of Education in Afghanistan (focus on CBS and ALC)
(Afghanistan) .............................................................................................................................. 68
Case presentation 18: Sharing on Mother Tongue Based Equivalency Programmes for School
Dropouts in Nepal (Nepal) .......................................................................................................... 68
5.3 Recommendations drawn from country case presentations........................................................ 69
Section 6: Community Involvement (Communication Strategies, Advocacy and
Social Mobilization)...................................................................................................................... 71
6.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 71
6.2 Country cases ............................................................................................................................. 72
Case presentation 19: Community Involvement: 2nd Chance Education in
Bangladesh (Bangladesh) ........................................................................................................... 72
Case presentation 20: Community Involvement, Strategy and Social Mobilization of NFPE in
Myanmar (Myanmar) .................................................................................................................. 78
Case presentation 21: Migrant Education in Ranong (Thai-Myanmar border) (Thailand)............. 81
6.3 Recommendations drawn from country case presentations........................................................ 81
Concluding recommendations .......................................................................................... 82
III
IV
Flex
Flexible
xib
ible
le LLearning Strategies: Country Case Report
List of Slides
Slide 1: Dropping Out and Dropping In ......................................................................................... 4
Slide 2: Zones of Inclusion and Exclusion- Drop-Outs and Push-Outs at Different Levels ........... 5
Slide 3: Alternative Pathways to Achieving EFA ............................................................................. 8
Slide 4: The Situation in 2010: 131.3 Million Children out of School ............................................ 9
Slide 5: Five Dimensions of Exclusion (5DE) ................................................................................. 10
Slide 6: OOSCI Participating Countries ......................................................................................... 11
Slide 7: The Magnitude of the OOSC Situation in South Asia ..................................................... 11
Slide 8:
Numbers of Children Expected to Enter, Drop Out or Never Enter School in
South Asia ....................................................................................................................... 12
Slide 9: Distribution of OOSC in India by Social Group ................................................................ 13
Slide 10: Number of OOSC for Primary and Lower Secondary School Age in East Asia................ 14
Slide 11: Some of the Barriers and Bottlenecks Contributing to Reduced Enrolments in the
East Asia Pacific................................................................................................................ 14
Slide 12: Polices and Strategies for Reducing OOSC Enrolment Rates in the East
Asia-Pacific Region........................................................................................................... 15
Slide 13: Policy Framework ............................................................................................................. 18
Slide 14: The Process of Bringing Paket A into the Formal Education Management ................... 26
Slide 15: Factors and Delivery Methods that May Have a Significant Bearing on Curriculum
and Instruction ................................................................................................................. 30
Slide 16: Factors and Delivery Methods Influence the Curriculum and Instruction....................... 30
Slide 17: Necessary Content of Curriculum .................................................................................... 31
Slide 18: Goal of Curriculum for K to 12 in Both Formal and Alternative Education Systems
in the Philippines.............................................................................................................. 32
Slide 19: Paket A Curriculum Structure ......................................................................................... 37
Slide 20: The Training Topics Provided to MVF Facilitators by the MVF Resource Group.............. 46
Slide 21: Teacher Training Process for Hill Tribe School Teachers .................................................. 49
Slide 22: The structure of Indonesia’s National Exam Which Can be taken by Students Trained
in Either the Formal or Informal “Paket A” Schooling Systems....................................... 57
Slide 23: Number of ALS Implementers in the Philippines .......................................................... 60
Slide 24: Cost of Contracting an Organization as Service Provider ............................................... 61
Slide 25: Cost of Contracting an Individual as Service Provider .................................................... 61
Slide 26: Monitoring and Evaluation Forms used by ALS in the Philippines ................................. 62
PARTT O
ONE
ONE:
NE:: IIntroduction
ntroduction to ALPs
V
Slide 27: The Management Structure Established by CARE to Allow for the Running
of Udaans ........................................................................................................................ 64
Slide 28: Management Required During Camp ............................................................................ 65
Slide 29: Relationships Between Agencies ..................................................................................... 67
Slide 30: The Concept of Community Development ..................................................................... 73
Slide 31: Examples of Community Committees ............................................................................. 74
Slide 32: Steps for Community Involvement ................................................................................. 74
Slide 33: Level of Community Voice and Accountability ............................................................... 75
Slide 34: The Benefits of Community Involvement ....................................................................... 76
Slide 35: Challenges Associated with Community Involvement .................................................... 76
Slide 36: CAMPE’s Recommendations for Facilitating Effective Community Involvement .......... 77
Slide 37: Tracking Donations to the NFPE Programmes in Myanmar .......................................... 79
Slide 38: Donations in Kind to the NFPE Programmes in Myanmar.............................................. 79
© UNESCO/S. Chaiyasook
Slide 39: NFPE Learners Perform at School Festivals .................................................................... 80
VI
Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
Introduction
Flexible Learning Strategies (FLS) represent a shift away from a piecemeal approach
to meet the learning needs of educationally excluded children towards a more
systematic, flexible and rights-based/inclusive interventions appropriately designed
to match their needs and circumstances. The objective of FLS is that, regardless of
mode of delivery, duration and place of study, otherwise excluded children can acquire
functional basic literacy and numeracy skills as well as the competencies and life skills
required to have improved life choices and live safe and dignified lives thus fulfilling
their right to education.
At the global level, there is no commonly accepted terminology to encompass the
various programmes that try to meet the learning needs of children outside of the formal
schooling system. To this end, the term flexible learning strategies is used to cover the
various initiatives and the different terminologies they are called including equivalency
programmes, certified non-formal education (NFE) programmes, accelerated learning
programmes, second chance education, community-based education/school/learning,
flexible schooling programmes, complementary programmes, alternative learning
programmes, etc.
The regular education system with its traditional schools do not provide sufficient
and appropriate learning options for children who do not enrol in school, or drop out
early for a wide variety of complex and often interlinked reasons. Traditional schooling
therefore is not adequate to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 2 and
Education for All (EFA) Goal 2 of universal primary education.
Substantial progress has been achieved in getting more children into school in AsiaPacific. The adjusted net enrolment rate in primary education in Central Asia has
reached 94.7 per cent, 96.9 per cent in East Asia and the Pacific, and 92.9 per cent in
South and West Asia as of 2011.1
However, there are still 18 million primary school age children who are not in school.
Country studies undertaken as part of the Global Initiative on Out-of-School Children
led by UNICEF and the UNESCO Institute of Statistics, also indicate that the estimates
for out of school children could be higher.
In the region, progress towards universal enrolment has also slowed while many
children drop out of school before completing the full primary cycle. Removing or
lowering costs associated with education in order to ensure accessibility, relevance,
inclusiveness and affordability has also proven to be not sufficient. Deep-rooted
inequalities associated with gender, ethnicity, wealth and location in addition to poor
quality education, are major barriers to getting more children into school.
1 Source: UIS Online Database accessed 31 July 2013.
PART ONE: Introduction to ALPs
According to the 2012 EFA Global Monitoring Report, an estimated 250 million
primary school age children worldwide are not able to read, write or count well. The
figure includes out-of-school children but also children who have spent at least four
years in school but have not been learning. This indicates that formal schools have
also not been able to meet the individual learning needs of children in their specific
contexts often prompting them to dropout.
Various FLS initiatives have taken root in countries in Asia and the Pacific as traditional
school models are not sufficient to meet the learning needs of all children - both in
terms of providing them access to schooling and for ensuring that those in school
learn and stay in school. Although “inclusion” traditionally connotes inclusion to
formal schools, the magnitude of the numbers of out-of-school children in Asia and
the Pacific and the huge numbers of children in school but not learning highlights the
importance of putting in place flexible and alternative modalities to meet the learning
needs of ALL children, including programmes that have a different pedagogy and
content and learning outcomes than the formal education system.
The implementation of more flexible, alternative and equity-based learning programmes
that address the characteristics of learners, such as their interests, needs, experience,
abilities, culture and learning styles, is a crucial strategy to bring education within the
reach of marginalized children and to accelerate progress towards our MDGs and EFA
commitments for 2015.
.
VII
VIII
Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
Background
Note: This report discusses Flexible Learning Strategies (FLS). However, previously these
were referred to as Alternative Learning/Schooling Programmes (ALPs). Throughout
this report, the terminology we use to refer to Flexible Learning Strategies as ALPs.
For the achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2 and Education for
All (EFA) Goal 2, conventional/traditional schooling is often unable to provide quality
education to those in difficult and non-traditional circumstances. The regular education
system with traditional schools does not provide sufficient and appropriate options for
children who do not enrol in school, or drop out early for a wide variety of complex and
often interlinked reasons. In order to ensure accessibility, relevance, inclusiveness and
affordability, removing or lowering costs associated with education is not sufficient. The
implementation of more flexible, alternative and equity-based learning programmes
that address the characteristics of learners, such as their interests, needs, experience,
abilities, culture and learning styles, is a crucial strategy to bring education within the
reach of marginalized children and to accelerate progress towards our MDGs and EFA
commitments for 2015.
While the net enrolment ratio in universal primary education in Central Asia and East
Asia and the Pacific rose above 90 per cent in 2008, South and West Asia remain at
86 per cent. And there are more than 26 million out-of-school primary school aged
children in the region. Progress towards universal enrolment has slowed while many
children drop out of school before completing the full primary cycle. Deep-rooted
inequalities associated with gender, ethnicity, wealth and location in addition to poor
quality education, are major barriers to universal primary education. Some countries
including Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand have come close
to achieving EFA goals by introducing alternative learning/schooling programmes for
youth and adults that ensure learners acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills. But
there remains a need to develop alternative learning/schooling programmes (ALPs) for
school-aged children.
The provision of education by flexible approaches is most successful when it is integrated
into national systems, allowing learners to continue their studies in conventional/
traditional schooling or to gain meaningful employment. Ideally, alternative delivery
programmes within a formal education system can offer more promising pathways
to accessing education. However, despite the continuous and ever-increasing calls
to education stakeholders for the addition of alternative and equity-based learning
programmes for school-age children as part of the Ministry of Education’s responsibility,
many countries in the Asia-Pacific region have yet to develop a systematic approach to
provide primary level alternative learning/schooling programmes. Alternative learning/
schooling programmes for school-age children currently provided by Ministries of
Background
Education and NGOs are called by various names such as para-formal education or
second chance, complementary education, open and distance learning and equivalency
programmes (EPs). Many countries face obstacles and challenges to implementing
alternative learning/schooling programmes because of low public perception about
the quality and importance of such programmes, inadequate financial and technical
support from the government, lack of further research studies, and weak NGOgovernment partnerships.
Alternative, flexible and inclusive learning programmes equivalent to conventional/
traditional schooling and accredited by the government will be the key for addressing
access to quality education for all learners in the 21st century and a future-oriented
approach to basic education. These will enable children to acquire not only basic
literacy and numeracy but also the competencies/life skills required to live in a
globalized world.
Summary of the Regional Meeting
The UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education (UNESCO Bangkok),
the UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA) and the UNICEF East Asia and
Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO), organized a regional meeting on alternative learning/
schooling programmes for primary education in Bangkok, 7-9 November 2012.
The overall aim of this meeting was to develop momentum for creating, promoting and
raising awareness about flexible learning strategies in the region, particularly primary level
alternative learning/schooling programmes that are officially accredited by the government
and are flexible and effective in offering school-age children a (second) chance of education
so that they can learn, graduate and see their right to education fulfilled.
This report documents the regional meeting, particularly examples of FLS in the countries
in Asia-Pacific. At the meeting, these flexible learning initiatives were previously referred
to as Alternative Learning/Schooling Programmes (ALPs). Thus throughout this report,
FLS initiatives are referred to as Alternative Learning/Schooling Programmes (ALPs).
IX
X
Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
The Specific objectives of the meeting:
• To stimulate exchange of
experience and lessons learned
among participating countries;
• To identify generic
implementation and operational
procedures for alternative
learning/schooling programmes
for improving practices in
planning, implementation and
monitoring alternative learning/
schooling programmes; and
• To promote and support
member states in Asia and the
Pacific to develop and improve
accreditation systems for
increasing access to and quality
control of alternative learning/
schooling programmes.
Expected results of the Meeting:
• Enhance knowledge on a
range of promising practices of
alternative learning/schooling
programmes mainly from Asia
and the Pacific (short term)
• Inclusion of flexible learning/
alternative learning/EP Primary
in subsector programmes and
budgeting (medium term)
• Current flexible/alternative/
equivalency programmes linked
to formal education under
legal commitments such as
education acts (medium term)
The meeting brought together mid-to-high level representatives and experts selected
from ministries responsible for and NGOs involved in primary education from the 23
countries listed here:
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia,
Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines,
Samoa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam
The participants were policy makers, planners and implementers who play a strategic
role in the provision of primary education in their respective countries. They are
expected to be responsible for planning and implementing alternative learning/
schooling programmes after attending the meeting.
In addition, representatives from academics, UN agencies, international/regional
development organizations, bilateral co-operation agencies and major donors engaged
in primary education and/or alternative learning/schooling programmes participated,
while eminent experts in alternative learning/schooling programmes were invited as
resource persons.
XI
© UNESCO Dhaka
PART ONE: Introduction to ALPs
1
PART ONE
Introduction to ALPs2
Session 1 Keynote speeches
There are several ways to look at Alternative Learning or Schooling Programmes
(ALPs). The keynote speakers focused on two areas: Dr. Ros Morpeth highlighted
the importance of including non-state providers in the provision of alternative
primary education; Professor Keith Lewin emphasized the responsibility of the state
in providing education as a basic right and for ALPs to also serve as legitimate,
sustainable alternative to formal systems.
Why Alternative Learning/Schooling Programmes for Primary
Education are a Crucial Strategy to Reach the Unreached.
Dr Ros Morpeth, National Extension College, The Michael Young Centre, Cambridge, UK
The Necessity for Using Diverse Methods of Provision
Alternative learning/schooling programmes (ALPs) for primary education are a crucial
strategy to reach the unreached. Traditionally, inclusion meant the inclusion of children
in the formal schooling system. Recent research conducted in South Asia by UNICEF,
however, suggests that the large number of children out of school and the diversity
of their needs can only be met through a variety of methods, not only through formal
schooling.3 As many state education systems cannot meet the demands of quantity
and quality, governments must reconsider their role as the exclusive provider and
move towards a more diversified education system as they reform and improve the
public system.
2 Note: This report discusses Flexible Learning Strategies (FLS). However, these were previously referred to as Alternative Learning/Schooling
Programmes (ALPs). Throughout this report, FLS initiatives are referred to as ALPs.
3 Open and Distance Learning for Basic Education in South Asia. http://www.unicef.org/rosa/ODL_Report_(Final_version)___10_Dec_09.pdf
2
Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
Enabling Framework
Morpeth suggests six elements are needed to provide an enabling framework
for ALPs:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Expanding the notion of inclusion.
Expanding the notion of access.
Defining meaningful and quality education.
Creating a diversified education system.
Creating a common enabling framework.
Providing an open national framework for certification.
Apex providers
Political commitment is needed to embed a rights-based approach into the national
education policy framework, with quality assurance and greater links between the formal
and non-formal. Some examples of some potential “apex” providers, using alternative
learning/schooling principles, include the National Institute for Open Schooling (India),
BRAC Primary School (Bangladesh) and Escuela Nueva (Colombia),4 whose models may
be able to be replicated elsewhere or who may be able to provide support to other
providers. Additional examples of site-specific ALP include one designed to educate
children on railway platforms in Bhubaneswar, India (Photo 1). These programmes and
others offer models of how a more flexible and equitable system can be delivered for
marginalised children, with progression routes and accreditation equivalent to, or the
same as, the formal system.
Reaching the Unreached: No More Missing Halves?
Prof. Keith Lewin, Director of the Consortium for Education Access, Transitions and Equity (CREATE),
University of Sussex
The state as the main provider
No other institution aside from the state can deliver the right to education for all.
Only the state can guarantee universal access. Alternative non-state providers can be
complementary but they are unlikely to ever replace the state as the core provider. It is
important to note that none of the high-enrolment countries rely on non-government
systems to provide education at the basic level.
Many experts believe that the state should be viewed as the guarantor of the right to
education. It is the states themselves who signed the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and committed themselves to universalizing access through the Education
4 National Institute for Open Schooling in India http://www.nios.ac.in/; BRAC Schools in Bangladesh http://www.brac.net/content/bangladesheducation-primary-schools; Escuela Nuevas in Colombia http://www.escuelanueva.org/portal/.
PART ONE: Introduction to ALPs
for All and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). States therefore have a special
responsibility to promote access to public goods such as education to all citizens and
particularly to the socio-economically disadvantaged groups. No other provider is
obliged to deliver the right to education. ALPs are provided by governments or NGOs
to learners who drop out or are excluded from the mainstream. If they are viewed
through this lens, it becomes important to determine the following two factors:
1. ALPs as an alternative to the formal system
The first factor is whether the ALPs in question are merely alternatives to the formal system
because they are simply different service providers, i.e. they deliver the same content/
curriculum via different styles/methods and achieve the same learning outcomes as public
systems. Or, are they alternative because they differ in terms of pedagogy, content and learning
outcomes? The answer to this question goes to the heart of the case that can be made for
alternative schooling. Are they simply in existence because the state cannot provide access? Or
do they offer an alternative to what the state is providing with different outcomes?
2. The ten-year question
The second, equally important factor is the ten year question. Where should ALPs be in
ten years’ time? It is important to think about this because we have to reflect on the
overall purpose of the ALP. Do ALPs exist solely for the purpose of reintegrating students
into formal education systems in which in case they will gradually wither away if they are
successful? Do they provide legitimate, sustainable alternatives to such formal systems?
Policy makers and implementers must consider how long ALPs will continue and how they
are financed since every dollar spent on them is a dollar not spent in public schools. What
is the aim of such programmes? To eliminate the need for ALPs altogether? Or to become
self-sustaining, with secure long term resourcing strategies from non-state sources that may
be related to particular social groups?
Goal of ALPs
Like formal education systems, ALPs must be geared towards development goals such
as preparing learners to generate their own livelihoods and enter labour markets. They
should promote abstract thinking and critical analysis skills – teaching learners how to
learn, not what to learn – so that they can become lifelong learners and contribute to
the social and economic stability of their nations.
Understanding why they are out of school
In order to make ALPs more targeted, it is worth examining closely the reasons why
children are out of school. It is often suggested that the actual number of Out-ofSchool Children (OOSC) worldwide is much higher than the frequently quoted estimate
of 60 million children. Are they temporary or permanent drop-outs, or are they actually
push-outs?
3
4
Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
Some OOSC have never been enrolled, while others have dropped out. In order to have a
nuanced understanding, University of Sussex’s CREATE model has created an analytical
framework called ‘Drivers of Exclusion’ which attempts to understand the exact reasons
why children are not enrolled or drop out of school. These drivers can include both
supply-side and demand-side factors such as poverty, conflict, underachievement, etc.
Mapping such zones so as to understand the unique characteristics of OOSC groups
is important and further targeted studies are needed to understand specific local
contexts (for example, see Slides 1 and 2).5
Slide 1: Dropping Out and Dropping In
Under 6 years of age
Primary age children
Zone 0
Excluded from
pre-school
and ECD
Children
without
hout access
a
to pre-school
and ECD
Adolescents
Zone 1
Not enrolled
in grade 1
Zone 2
Primary
drop-outs
Children
unlikely to
enrol in normal
en
schools
schoo
Zone 3
Primary enrolled,
risk of drop-out
Drop-outs
from Primary
Overage
Low attendance
Low achievement
Silent exclusion
Zone 4
No transition
to lower
secondary
Zone 5
Primary leavers
No transition on
lower secondary
lo
Lower
secondary
drop-outs
Cross-cutting
utting Issues
• Poverty
• Gender
der
• Location
• Disabilities
• Orphans
• Social
• Pedagogies
• Language
• Child
• Resources
labour
• Infrastructure
Drop-outs
from
secondary
seconda
protection
• Fragile
Overage
Low attendance
Low achievement
Silent exclusion
states
ll-being
Livelihoods and well-being
Source: © Keith Lewin, CREATE
5 See “Making Rights Realities” www.create-rpc.org.
Zone 6
Lower secondary
enrolled, risk of
drop-outs
PART ONE: Introduction to ALPs
Slide 2: Zones of Inclusion and Exclusion- Drop-Outs and Push-Outs at Different Levels
100
Unlikely
to enrol
Zone 1
Never
enrol
90
No
access
Never
enrol
CREATE
Zones of Exclusion
80
www.create-rpc.org
[email protected]
Zone 2
Primary Drop-out
60
% Participating
Zone 0 No pre-school
70
50
40
Zone 4 Primary Leavers
Zone 3 At Risk
Overage, Low Achievers and Attenders
30
Zone 5 Drop-outs
20
No
Access
Zone 6 At Risk
At Risk
10
Secure enrolment, Attendance and Achievement
Access
0
1
2
3
4
Primary Grades
5
6
7
8
9
10
Lower Secondary Grades
Source: © Keith Lewin, CREATE
Risk of Exclusion
It is also important to consider multiple layers of disadvantage or risk factors, in order
to provide additional support to all learners – and not just drop-outs – who have
missed out because of various forms of social exclusion. Furthermore, we should not
isolate exclusion factors but consider them together. For example, gender may not
indicate anything and religion may not indicate anything when looked at individually
but when combined, a Muslim girl may have the least access and be considered at high
risk of dropping out. We must look at these factors together and consider differences
within groups as well as differences between groups.
School drop-outs should be anticipated and reduced. Governments must develop
programmes that meet the learning needs of children in identified ‘exclusion zones’ in
order to provide universal primary education for all.
Moving Forward: Next Steps
Once a diagnosis has been made, successful educational models can be found, more
often than not by looking at strategies employed by nations who have faced similar
situations in the past. What is required is a rational, detailed, planning process which
takes into account demographics and developmental needs which learn from the
experience of others. Universal primary education can be achieved even in poorer
countries if there is political will to allocate sufficient resources for this purpose, as has
been shown in several nations including Sri Lanka, Viet Nam and Botswana.
5
© UNESCO Dhaka
6
Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
7
PART ONE
Introduction to ALPs
Session 2 Introduction to ALPs
UNESCO Bangkok and UNICEF presented an overview of current ALP provision in
the region and opened up the discussion on the status, progress, best practices
as well as challenges faced in implementing ALPs. UIS, UNICEF ROSA and UNICEF
EAPRO reported on the Out-of-School Children Initiative (OOSCI) conducted in South
Asia and East Asia. Data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) show that
approximately 61 million primary school-age children were out of school in 2010
worldwide, some 17 per cent of whom live in the Asia-Pacific Region (10.37 million
children). The number could be much greater, highlighting the need for ALPs. While
the global out-of-school figure has declined over the past 15 years, falling from 105
million in 1990, data show that progress began to slow down in 2005 and stagnated
between 2008 and 2010 with the number remaining at 61 million. As of 2011, data
from UIS show that globally there are 57 million out-of-school children, 18 million of
whom live in the Asia-Pacific. Urgent action is required to ensure that these numbers
continue to fall so that more children become and remain engaged in education.
Defining ALPs and Overview of Current Alternative
Learning/Schooling Programmes
Mr Abdul Hakeem APPEAL Coordinator, UNESCO Bangkok
Some of the driving factors behind the use of ALPs include Millennium Development
Goal (MDG) 2, Education for All (EFA) Goal 2 and the fact that there are at least 10
million Out-of-School Children (OOSC) in the Asia-Pacific region. Alternative learning
programmes can provide a pathway for those children excluded from formal schooling
to still receive a basic primary education in accordance with EFA Goal 2, as represented
graphically in Slide 3.
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
Slide 3: Alternative Pathways to Achieving EFA
Source: © UNESCO Bangkok
Countries such as India, Indonesia and the Philippines have a long history of equivalency
programmes, while others such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar and Nepal are
considering formalising primary education equivalency (beyond existing GovernmentNon-Governmental Organisation co-operation, whereby each programme is outlined
in separate and specific Memorandums of Understanding).6 Some of the striking
features of ALPs are:
• Intensive learning
• “Reaching the unreached” – reaching the most marginalized and disadvantaged.
• Equivalency to the formal system
• Flexible methodologies
• Link to lifelong learning, life skills, civic responsibility and global citizenship.
UNESCO aims to support Member States in promoting and expanding ALPs by
developing a Policy Brief and advocacy video, assisting countries to integrate ALPs
in national policies, facilitating national consultation meetings, implementing pilot
projects and conducting an impact study of ALPs in 2013.
6 For more information on the programmes operating in each country please see the Matrix in Annex 1.
PART ONE: Introduction to ALPs
UIS UNICEF Out-of-School Children Initiative (OOSCI)
Rationale and Methodology
Ms Aurélie Acoca, UIS, UNESCO Bangkok
The Out-of-School Children Initiative (OOSCI)7 is a joint programme of the UNESCO
Institute of Statistics (UIS) and UNICEF. The initiative was launched in 2010 to accelerate
efforts to achieve the goal of providing universal primary education by 2015. The
initiative aims to strengthen national data collection, analysis and policy development
on out-of-school children to encourage the development of more systematic
approaches to acceleration, scaling up and guiding concrete education sector reforms.
Data collected to date shows the numbers of OOSC (Slide 4).
Slide 4: The Situation in 2010: 131.3 Million Children out of School
Primary
Regions
Arab States
Absolute Numbers
(000)
Lower Secondary
Percentage
(%)
Absolute Numbers
(000)
Percentage
(%)
5,036
11.8
3,732
16.6
Central and
Eastern Europe
931
4.8
1,281
6.8
Central Asia
317
5.8
315
4.3
East Asia and
the Pacific
6,581
3.9
10,331
10.0
Latin America
and the
Caribbean
2,698
4.6
1,780
4.9
North America
and Western
Europe
1,267
2.6
554
1.8
South and
West Asia
13,261
7.5
30,946
29.5
Sub-Saharan
Africa
30,641
23.3
21,676
36.5
World
60,735
9.3
70,615
18.4
Source: © UIS-AIMS / US Data Center accessed October 2012
7 For more information on OOSCI, visit http://www.unicef.org/education/files/OOSCI_flyer_EN_Sept.pdf.
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
The conceptual and methodological framework developed by the OOSCI introduces
a new approach for analysing the problem of OOSC through Five Dimensions of
Exclusion (5DE) (Slide 5) that capture children excluded from the pre-primary to lower
secondary school age across a range of disparity factors and degrees of exposure to
education. Excluded children include those not in school as well as those who are
currently in school but at a high risk of dropping out.
Slide 5: Five Dimensions of Exclusion (5DE)
Dimension 1
Not in
pre-school
or primary
school
Dimension 2
Dimension 3
Not in primary school
Not in secondary school
Pre-primary
age children
Primary age children
Out of school
Lower secondary age children
Dimension 4
Dimension 5
At risk of dropping
out of primary school
At risk of dropping
out of lower
secondary school
Primary school students
Lower secondary school students
In school
Source: © UIS-AIMS
The major products of the initiative include the country, regional and global reports
which incorporate data from all participating countries. Country reports will answer
the questions: How many OOSC are there, and what gender and age are they? Who
are the OOSC: their ethnicity, language, religion, social group/caste, disabilities? Where
are the OOSC located sub-nationally? What are the reasons for OOSC - family issues,
social issues, health issues, school issues? What previous experiences have countries
had in attempting to enrol them? What were the results and lesson learned?
There are ten Asia-Pacific Region countries (Slide 6 – South-East Asian countries are
highlighted in purple, South Asian in red and Central Asian in green) among the
26 country teams from seven regions who are currently participating in the initiative.
More may be included in the second round, once the first round has been evaluated.
PART ONE: Introduction to ALPs
Slide 6: OOSCI Participating Countries
26 teams from 7 regions
Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Timor-Leste, Bangladesh,
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Krgyzstan, Romania, Tajikstan,
Turkey, DR Congo, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Ethiopia,
Mozambique, Zambia, South Sudan, Morocco, Sudan,
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico
Source: © UIS-AIMS
Review of and Recommendations from the South Asia
OOSCI Report
Ms Lieke van de Wiel, Regional Education Adviser, UNICEF ROSA
In South Asia, the magnitude of the OOSC problem is shown in Slide 7. Throughout
the four countries of the region 23.8 million primary and 15.6 million secondary aged
children are out of school.8
Slide 7: The Magnitude of the OOSC Situation in South Asia
23.8 million primary and 15.6 million secondary-aged
children out of school in four countries
30,000,000
25,000,000
20,000,000
Bangladesh
India
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
15,000,000
10,000,000
5,000,000
0
Primary
Secondary
Total OOSC
Source: © UNICEF ROSA / India out-of-school report. Data from the NSSO 2007-8 unit level data;
Note: *Muslims belonging to OBC and General not included
8 There are difference in figures between OOSCI data and UIS OOSC data due to different data sources, methodologies, number of countries
covered, school years covered and so on. UIS figures are based on the May 2012 data release covering school year 2010 and covers the whole
South and West Asia region which includes 8 South Asian countries plus Iran while OOSCI figures covers only four countries.
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
It is the poorest children, often those who are living in urban areas and engaged in
child labour that are out-of-school in South Asia, whilst gender disparity differs from
country to country.
Slide 8: Numbers of Children Expected to Enter, Drop Out or Never Enter School in South Asia
Pakistan
Bangladesh
India
12
12
17
42
55
22
61
47
41
Dropped out
Sri Lanka
Expected to enter by age 17
18
48
33
Expected to never enter
ALP can provide education
to those who never enter school and
those who have dropped
Source: © UNICEF ROSA
Slide 8 shows the number of children expected to enter, drop out of or never enter
school in each of the four South Asian countries. Some of the barriers and bottlenecks
these children face include; supply-side barriers (e.g. availability of facilities), and the
poor quality of schooling which is pushing children out of primary and secondary
education. On the demand side some of the barriers include: lack of an educationfocussed culture – children are more likely to be involved in child labour as families
facing poverty do not prioritise education; similarly, the cost of schooling, as well as
gender, cultural and social norms interacting with low household wealth. An indication
of how one’s social group affects OOSC numbers in India is given in Slide 9, showing
some of these factors at work.
PART ONE: Introduction to ALPs
Slide 9: Distribution of OOSC in India by Social Group
India: Distribution of out-of-school children by social groups
12.5%
23.7%
Muslims
5.9%
25.9%
General
Other backward castes*
31.9%
Scheduled castes
Scheduled tribes
Source: © UNICEF ROSA
More large-scale holistic interventions that address multiple barriers to schooling
are needed in South Asia such as BRAC Primary School in Bangladesh. Maintaining
momentum to strengthen education sector-wide planning approaches and their ability
to respond to specific needs is important as is targeting children who are likely to
never enter school and other specific groups of marginalised children who don’t show
up in the aggregate profiles. Once we determine why children cannot access primary
education or complete primary education, we can determine what is necessary for
these children including alternative delivery modes for out-of-school children and
those at risk of dropping out.
Review of and Recommendations from the OOSCI
East Asia Report
Mr Cliff Meyers, Regional Education Advisor, UNICEF EAPRO
While the numbers of OOSC in the East Asia-Pacific Region are not as high as those of
South Asia, significant numbers of children are still not yet enrolled in primary or lower
secondary education (Slide 10).
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
Slide 10: Number of OOSC for Primary and Lower Secondary School Age in East Asia
Number of out-of-school children for
Primary and lower Secondary School age
1,200,000
Male
1,000,000
Female
8,000,000
6,000,000
4,000,000
2,000,000
0
Primary
Lower
sec.
Cambodia
Primary
Lower
sec.
Indonesia
Primary
Lower
sec.
Primary
Philippines
Lower
sec.
Primary
Thailand
Lower
sec.
Timor-Leste
Primary
Lower
sec.
Viet Nam
Source: © UNICEF EAPRO
Slide 11: Some of the Barriers and Bottlenecks Contributing to Reduced Enrolments in the
East Asia Pacific
Demand Side Barriers
Social/Cultural
Economic
• Perceptions on value
of education
• Direct and Indirect
Fees
• Health and Nutrition
• Natural Disasters
• Limited right age
• Entry to grade one
• Gender Bias and
Discrimination
• Disability
• Migration and lack
of birth registration
Source: © UNICEF EAPRO
Supply Side Barriers
• Access
• Water and Sanitation
Facilities
• Quality
• Language
• Lack of Early
Childhood
Development
Services
Policy, Govern,
Capacity, Finance
• Decentralization
and Governance
• Education Financing
PART ONE: Introduction to ALPs
We can think of supply side and demand side bottlenecks and barriers (Slide 11):
• Supply side: Social or cultural factors such as perceptions regarding the value of
education; limitations on the correct age of entry to Grade One (this can lead to
high enrolment rates i.e. if data is collected on 7-year-old students but children are
actually enrolling from age six, this boosts gross enrolment rates); gender bias and
discrimination; disability; migration; lack of birth registration; economic factors such
as school fees both direct and indirect; lack of health and nutrition and the effects of
natural disasters.
• Demand side: Access; inadequate water and sanitation facilities; quality; language;
lack of early childhood education or development services; decentralization or lack of
governance and insufficient education financing.
Slide 12: Polices and Strategies for Reducing OOSC Enrolment Rates in the East Asia-Pacific
Region
Demand Side Barriers
Social/Cultural
• Community
participation
• Promoting
importance of ECD
• Promoting gender
equality in education
• Inclusive education
for children with
disabilities
• Birth certificates
and accessibility
Economic
• Lower costs of
education
• Increase in
household income
to afford education
• Improved health
and nutrition
• Education
for disaster
management
Supply Side Barriers
• Expanding access to
school facilities
• Improved quality
• Language of
education
• Expansion of
ECD
Services
Policy, Govern,
Capacity, Finance
• School based
management
• Education financing
and fund flows
• Targeted and
universal welfare
schemes
Source: © UNICEF EAPRO
Slide 12 presents the policies and strategies currently used for addressing both demandside and supply-side barriers, including social, cultural and economic approaches. On
the supply side, possible solutions may include: expanding access to school facilities,
improving quality, changing the language of education, expanding ECD services,
school-based management, or improving education financing and creating targeted
universal welfare schemes.
Previously, policy measures introduced to tackle the OOSC problem were either
considered as the exclusive responsibility of the formal education sector (the state)
or as tools used by informal or non-state organisations. This is no longer the case
as informal organisations are often very well-funded and can afford to take on
infrastructure projects. At the same time, many states seem to be adopting the nontraditional management techniques of ALPs into their formal systems.
15
© UNESCO Dhaka
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
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PART TWO
Practical Guide and Current
9
Situation of ALPs in the Region
Section 1: Policy and Framework
1.1 Introduction
In this section, the national policies that support ALPs will be discussed. Along
with equivalency and non-formal programmes, ALPs should be supported by
relevant education policies and frameworks. If a country is committed to alternative
education, it is likely to have policies to support it. However, in reality, many
implementers face challenges when there is an absence of policies relating to ALP
in their country. As a result, ALPs are often not recognized by the formal education
sector and by potential employers – a limitation which limits the ability of students
to continue pursing higher education opportunities and to improve their livelihood.
Reaching the Unreached: No More Missing Halves?
Prof. Keith Lewin CREATE, University of Sussex
Creating Effective Policy Frameworks
In order to create effective policy frameworks, governments must first diagnose the
problem by asking: who is currently excluded from basic education and who exactly are
we trying to reach? This will give a direction and allow governments to identify gaps in
the education system. As different zones of inclusion and exclusion exist (see part I), not
one, but several policy discussions must take place for each zone of exclusion in order
to target different types of children. No one diagnosis will be sufficient.
Governments must also look to the future: what is the end result they hope to achieve?
9 Note: This report discusses Flexible Learning Strategies (FLS). However, these were previously referred to as Alternative Learning/Schooling
Programmes (ALPs). Throughout this report, FLS initiatives are referred to as ALPs.
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
Then, every government policy must have a robust statistical basis, a goal, content and
steps in the process. When considering the implementation strategy, some of the key
questions to ask are:
• Who is responsible (Responsibilities)?
• Who is going to pay for it (Resources)?
• What will be the indicators of success (Verifiable indicators)?
• Over what time frame shall the policy be implemented (Time Scale)?
Slide 13: Policy Framework
Policy Framework
• Policy Diagnosis and Rationale
• Goal
• Objectives
• Content and Process
As always, governments must balance what
the people want – i.e. the demands of
public opinion – with what people really
need. In this case, basic primary education is
at the core of public policy-making.
• Implementation Strategy
º
º
º
º
Locus of Responsibilities
Resources
Time Scale
Verifiable Indicators
Source: © Keith Lewin, CREATE
1.2 Country cases
Diverse country examples are presented in the following section. Some ALPs
were created by governments while others were created by NGOs or funded by
foreign donors. This section presents cases of large state-run initiatives, as well as
smaller NGO programmes.
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
Case presentation 1
Alternative learning system/schooling programmes for
Primary Education to Reach the Unreached (Philippines)
Ms Sevilla A Panaligan, Chief of Continuing Education Division, Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS),
Department of Education, Government of the Philippines
Identifying Gaps in Existing Policies
To make education accessible to all, the 1987 Philippine Constitution declares that
the state has responsibility to “protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality
education for all and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible.”
The Republic Act 9155 permits the use of alternative learning systems as a parallel
option to provide a “viable” alternative to formal education.10
A 2008 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) by National
Statistics Office (NSO) estimates that there are approximately 2.1 million out-of-school
children and youth in the Philippines. To address this need, the Bureau of Alternative
Learning Systems (BALS) was created with the following aims:
• To provide a systematic, flexible approach to reach all types of learners outside the
formal school system, including those who can be categorized as marginalized or those
who are unreached by formal education regardless of age, gender, economic status,
ethnicity and religion.
• To provide accreditation and certification through the alternative learning system.
In order to achieve these objectives, BALS implements two major programmes:
• The Basic Literacy Programme (BLP): BLP caters to those who have no literacy and
numeracy skills.
• The Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Programme: A&E provides an alternative
pathway for the semi-literate, neo-literate and basically literate learners to complete the
12 years of basic education.
Alternative Learning System (ALS) programmes compare to the formal system
in the following ways:
• The programmes and curriculum are life skills-based.
• They are comparable and parallel to formal education in the Philippines.
• The ALS learning assessments and certification are different from those used in the formal
10 Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001.
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
system. The ALS programmes have a life skills-based curriculum, whereas the formal
system has a more academic focus.
• Age is not prescribed for ALS learners, so communities can learn together.
• The curriculum is packaged as self-driven modules rather than using textbook-based
learning which are teacher facilitated.
The ALS programme is mandated to remain equivalent to the formal system. ALS
students are able to take the Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) test for certification
as long as they have reached the minimum age of 11 years old for elementary-level
and 15 years old for the secondary-level test.
Various kinds of ALS programmes exist.
• For the Visually Impaired
An ALS programme is currently being adapted to allow visually impaired learners to
participate, thus targeting another group of OOSC.
• ALIVE Programme
Another ALS programme caters to Muslim migrants (who are internally displaced in the
south) through the Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education (ALIVE) programme. ALIVE
uses Arabic as the language of instruction and takes into account the demands of the conflict
zones they are living in and the remoteness of the areas to which they have migrated.
• Mobile Teacher
In order to facilitate ALS programmes in remote areas, a mobile teacher programme exists.
The mobile teacher travels by alternative transport to reach remote areas (Photos 2 and 3).
This also provides a viable pathway for successful ALS students to become teachers in their
own or neighbouring communities.
As the ALS uses the same set of learning goals, when learners from different ALS
programmes take the A&E test, it will lead to an equivalent level of certification.
Qualifications Systems
In addition, BALS has formal arrangements with many higher learning institutions in
order to facilitate the ongoing learning for ALS students. Post-participation monitoring
of learners shows that ALS qualification often leads to promotion in regular positions
for low-skilled labourers in their own communities.
Lifelong Learning
The overall vision of the Bureau of Alternative Learning System is that it “envisions itself
to be one of the leading producers of Filipino lifelong learners.” In partnership with
other stakeholders, its mission is to develop exemplary programmes and to provide
open creative learning opportunities so that all people can achieve multiple literacies.
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
Case presentation 2
Alternative Learning/Special Training in India (India)
Mr Manjeet Kumar, Under Secretary, Elementary Education, Ministry of Human Resources
Development, New Delhi;
Mr Yogendra Bhushan, Project Co-ordinator, NGO Bodh, Rajasthan
Ms Shweta Sandilya, Education Specialist, UNICEF India
A Multi-pronged approach: Ensuring Universal Enrolment While
Mainstreaming OOSC
A multi-pronged approach has been adopted to ensure universal enrolment, reduce
drop-out rates and bring OOSC into mainstream schooling. Any introduction to the
Indian context will mention the 2009 Right of Children to Free and Compulsory
Education Act (RTE) and the Sarva Shiksha Abhiya (SSA) Programme, as well as to
“Special Training.”
Special Training Programme
Under the RTE act, special training is defined as accelerated learning for out-of-school
children (OOSC) into age-appropriate classes. Efforts are being made to incorporate
flexible approaches which are more responsive to the learning needs of these children
(the majority of whom come from socially disadvantaged groups) within the public
education system itself. Special training of OOSC is provided to those who have never
been admitted to formal schools. It is not a separate school system but rather a special
programme under the regular school system.
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
Governments absorb the management of
ALPs into their system
The overall trend with ALPs is that governments are taking over the responsibility
of managing alternative primary education programmes as part of meeting the
needs of primary education. The models will now be government-approved and
government-led (and/or civil society led that has been government approved)
ALP initiatives that are embedded in the formal system. The example for this is the
SSA special training or Indonesia’s recent management push from equivalency
education into Department of Primary Education. This is also in line with the
Philippines model.
While the government is taking more control, NGOs are concerned about losing
their autonomy. Will they still be able to have the creativity that makes their
programming more accessible for hard-to-reach learners?
The approach taken by special training determined by the local authority and
based on local contexts:
• Firstly it identifies OOSC through school mapping exercises.
• Special training is provided by teachers working in schools or specially engaged teachers.
• Flexible duration and timing for special training (seasonal option for children of migrating
families) but the ideal duration of special training is a minimum of three months, which
may be extended based on periodic evaluation of the learning process.
• Well-structured teaching learning material for special training.
• Actual admission of the child in the age appropriate class on completion of special
training and continued support to be provided into regular schooling.
• Above all, school readiness is essential.
Much progress has been made under this programme. However, gender-parity has not
been fully reached. This is an example of an ongoing challenge.
The practical application of such methodology can be provided from an NGO
perspective by sharing the specific example of ALPs provided by the NGO Bodh in
Rajasthan. At first, a comprehensive survey was undertaken to assess the number of
OOSC. It was discovered that despite two decades of successful flagship programmes,
there were still approximately 120,000 children out of school in the district, 60 per
cent were girls and the majority of them were first generation learners (nobody from
their previous generations has ever gone to school.) A significant number of them
were working children. These included students who had been “pushed out” as well
as those who had never enrolled.
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
Accelerated Learning
The response was to establish special learning centres which delivered a condensed
course using an adaptation of the mainstream formal education curriculum. The
centres require a high number of personnel to be effective, as increased teacherpupil ratios improve learning. Although the centres employed accelerated learning
methods in order to get children into age-appropriate formal education more quickly
(something the majority of pupils were ready for within three months to two years of
attending the centres), the centres emphasized equivalency so that the children were
able to re-integrate more easily.
Continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) has been made mandatory in the
new post-RTE framework. CCE focuses on aspects of comprehensiveness in terms of
curriculum and cognitive competencies. It establishes direct links between assessment,
planning/reviewing and classroom processes. CCE uses many tools for the purpose of
assessment to be done objectively and specific tools such as checklists, worksheets,
portfolios, child-register, open ended comments and observations. CCE also involves
community and children in assessment at various levels and shares the outputs
with parents. This allows for major challenges to be identified so that policy and
implementation processes can be improved and updated.
Based on experience, the presenters suggested the following should be
considered when creating policy frameworks:
• Quality has to be emphasized in all respects recognizing the greater complexity of
the task over the mainstream schooling process.
• Evolving dedicated structures for academic support, adopting research based practices
for evolving context specific processes.
• Ensuring greater participation of the community and other direct and indirect
stakeholder’s by evolving community-based monitoring and support systems.
• Providing appropriate preparatory training (not less than for one month), continuous
academic support, periodic review and planning.
• Using a community/habitation-based tracking system which ensures effective planning
and monitoring (using child registration).
• Directly addressing the issues of school readiness, ownership, and pedagogic alignment/
consistency in the transition phase.
The next steps for India are to:
• Establish steering committees at the state-level with NGOs to provide process guidance
and support for state-sponsored alternative primary schooling such as special training.
• Develop a standard, common definition for OOSC and a tracking system for each child.
• Develop ALP process guidance for the states as an advisory resource- highlighting the
development of relevant content that prepares students for mainstream schooling and
highlighting the key role of teachers.
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
• Organize state level workshops to develop age appropriate content for special training/
alternative schooling and demonstrate methodology.
• Technical support for the states to develop the process and methodology for alternative
schooling building on earlier experience.
• A system of continuous evaluation should be put in place to enable children to enter
mainstream schooling at an appropriate juncture.
Case presentation 3
Alternative Learning Programmes for Primary Education to
Reach the Unreached through “Paket A”-1 (Indonesia)
Mr Ngadirin Harjautama, Official of the Directorate General of Basic Education, Ministry of Education and
Culture, Republic of Indonesia
Overarching Framework
Education has been given priority by both the government and community members,
beginning with the amendment of the constitution in 2002 which stated that 20 per cent
of national and local budgets should be dedicated to education. The National Constitution
(1945) states that all citizens have a right to education. It is stressed in the Government
Regulation No. 47 (2008) that every citizen is entitled to compulsory education and that
they should have a minimum basic education that consists of six years at primary school
level and three years at junior secondary school level, a total of nine years compulsory
education. The government finances the implementation of compulsory education
(Government Regulation No. 48 Year 2008) and it pushes local governments to build
primary and secondary schools so that all children will have access to a school.
Equal and Transferable Education
Based on the Indonesian Education System (Law No. 20 Year 2003), all citizens should
receive an education without discrimination. They can go to formal, non-formal, and
informal education.
• The formal education system consists of six years elementary school, three years junior
secondary school, three years in senior secondary school, and then higher education.
• Non-formal education consists of courses, training, early childhood learning groups, etc.
• Informal education is family education, i.e., home schooling, education in families.
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
These three forms of education are equally acknowledged and they are transferable.
This means that it is granted by law that a student from non-formal education and
informal education could transfer to formal education, and vice versa. Transfer between
formal and non-formal education has been regulated and implemented in the field;
but from informal to formal education there is no direct transfer. The transfer should
first be to non-formal education before going to formal education.
Making Education Equivalent
Equivalency education is recognized as equivalent to standard formal education. Just
like formal education, equivalency education pursues the eight national education
standards as stated in the Indonesian education system, which are content/curriculum
standard, competency standard, process, evaluation, management, teachers and
education personnel, facilities, and financial standards. These common standards
make it possible to have different types of primary schooling.
Equivalency education consists of:
• “Paket A” (A Package), which is equal to the primary level. The curriculum is similar to
the one used in primary schools, with more focus on life skills education.
• “Paket B” is equal to the junior secondary level.
• “Paket C” is equal to senior secondary level.
Paket A, B and C are provided in the Community Learning Centres (CLCs).
Scholarships are also provided for children from low-income and disadvantaged
families both for formal primary school and Paket A learners.
In 2011, the management of Paket A, B and C was moved under the formal education
system (the Directorate General of Basic Education) from the Directorate General of
Non-formal and Informal Education. The process of bringing Paket A into the formal
education management is shown in Slides 14.
Within formal education, there is a programme called “special class service” or
“remedial and retrieval classroom” that provide education for out-of-school children.
The implementation of this programme is similar to Paket A. The difference between
them is that this special class takes place in schools, while the Paket A programme
is run by community learning centres (CLCs). In order to reintegrate into the formal
system, Paket A students must sit an entrance exam. As a future policy consideration,
improvements can be made to include CLCs in the school cluster system which is
already in place.
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
Slide 14: The Process of Bringing Paket A into the Formal Education Management
The Process of bringing Paket A into the Formal Education Management
2002: 4th National Constitution Amendment (2002)
> Stating the 20% of National and Local Budget for education
2003: New National Education System
> Stressing the 20% of National and Local Budget for education
> Formal, Non-Formal, In-Formal are transferable
> Develop 8 National Education Standards
2005: National Education Standard Board
1. Contents/Curriculum Standard (F-2006, NF-2007)
2. Competency Standard (F-2006, NF-2007)
3. Teaching Process Standard (F-2007, NF-2008)
4. Education Evaluation Standard (F-2007)
5. Education Facilities Standard (F-2007)
6. Education Management Standard (F-2007, NF-2007))
7. Teachers and Education Personnel Standard (2007 > F&NF)
8. Financial Standard (F-2009)
2005: Piloting ‘free’ basic education (9 years) through ‘BOS’
(Bantuan Opersional Sekolah – School Financial Grant)
2011: Fully free basic education programme
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cover public & private primary and junior secondary schools
Policy to forbid any fee for school activity (primary & junior sec.)
Developing ‘special service class’ for drop-out students at primary schools
Providing grant for schools who deliver special service class
Providing scholarship for students from low economic family
Providing scholarship for all students in the special service class
Registered CLCs are provided ‘BOS’
Source: © Mr Harjautama
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
Government initiatives to widen access
in Indonesia
The government continued and expanded implementation of a large-scale
conditional cash transfer programme that provides cash to poor families who
meet the criteria, including children’s enrolment and attendance in school. In
2011, the programme covered 1,116,000 households.
The government’s Bantuan Operasional Sekolah (BOS) programme continued to
provide block grants to schools, which are intended to reduce fees and ensure that
primary and junior secondary school students are provided a free education. The
Ministry of National Education’s minimum service standards for basic education will
cover 216,000 schools from 2011 to 2013. In 2011, the Government expanded its
education scholarship programme to more than 4 million underprivileged children,
including 2.7 million elementary school students, 1.3 million junior secondary
school students and 700,000 senior secondary school students.
1.3 Recommendations drawn from country cases presentations
• It is important to understand the overall goals of each country’s education system when
designing ALP policies and programmes.
• Additional research is needed in order to understand who, where and why there are
OOSC when designing policies and programmes.
• National/regional standards and operational guidelines on policies and programmes
for an overall framework for primary education, including alternative education. These
guidelines should include both management and technical aspects of education.
• The guidelines should also include the recognition of alternative primary schooling,
including:
– Accreditation of alternative education providers.
– Certification which is recognized by both the formal and non-formal education
systems, as well as by employers.
– Where possible, mainstreaming of students once they have reached
age-appropriate levels.
• Countries must monitor and evaluate formal and alternative primary education schooling
to understand potential weaknesses and areas of success.
• Lessons learned from ALPs can be useful to the formal system.
• Advocacy of alternative schooling interventions into the formal education system.
27
© UNESCO Dhaka
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
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PART TWO
Practical Guide and Current
Situation of ALPs in the Region
Section 2: Curriculum and Instruction
2.1 Introduction
It is important for ALP learners to have equal opportunities to complete a core curriculum.
ALP curricula can take into account the special needs of children and include appropriate
modifications for the learning of the disabled, students from ethnic minority groups,
immigrant families or students facing a range of other barriers. The course of study should
also provide students/learners with an opportunity to successfully meet the requirements,
leading to accreditation and certification equivalent to those awarded by conventional/
traditional primary schooling or by transition to conventional/traditional schools.ALPs may
vary in terms of teaching method, hours/scheduling, curriculum or location.
Curriculum and Instruction
Prof. Keith Lewin, CREATE, University of Sussex
Although there is a generalized education quality goal in the MDGs agenda, there is
currently no learning or curriculum goal in the EFA framework, which may be worth
raising in the context of post MDG discussions.
Some factors and delivery methods which may influence the curriculum and
instruction include:
• The “hidden curriculum”, the societal norms which can sometimes contradict formal
curriculum (an example is given in Slide 16 where one of the photos shows a young girl
smoking despite anti-smoking messages delivered through formal education).
• Gender segregation: Is there a difference between the way boys and girls learn?
• Activity-based learning.
• Large class sizes.
• Multigrade schools.
• Low and high price fee-paying private schools claiming to offer ALPs.
• Resource-free learning and the boarding school models.
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
Slide 15: Factors and Delivery Methods that May Have a Significant Bearing on Curriculum
and Instruction
Slide 16: Factors and Delivery Methods Influence the Curriculum and Instruction
Source: © Keith Lewin, CREATE
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
Every curriculum should clarify needs (educational) aims, instructional objectives,
knowledge and skill content, methodological direction (learning and teaching) and
assessment and evaluation, which are interlinked (slide 17).
Slide 17: Necessary Content of Curriculum
AIMS
Instructional
Objectives
Knowledge and
Skill Content
Learning and
Teaching Methods
Assessment and
Evaluaton
Source: © Keith Lewin, CREATE
Actual costs of various curriculum decisions, including the specific cost-per-learner,
and assessments of learning outcomes linked to different methods can be a good lens
through which to evaluate the viability of alternative curricula models.
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
2.2 Country cases
Case presentation 4
ALS Curriculum and Instruction: Nature and Processes
(Philippines)
Ms Sevilla A Panaligan. Chief of Continuing Education Division, Bureau of Alternative Learning Systems
(BALS), Department of Education, Government of the Philippines
It is important to state clearly the overall purpose/aim of the country’s education
system as this will have a large impact on the curriculum. In the Philippines, the goal of
curriculum for kindergarten (K) to grade 12 learners in both the formal and alternative
education systems, is to produce “holistically developed Filipino citizens with 21st
century skills” (Slide 18). In order to achieve this overall purpose, the Government of
the Philippines manages Alternative Learning System (ALS) programmes directly.
Slide 18: Goal of Curriculum for K to 12 in Both Formal and Alternative Education Systems in
the Philippines
Goal 1: Holistically developed
Filipino with 21st century skills
Formal Education
System
K to 12
Curriculum
Assessment
Source: © Sevilla A Panaligan
Alternative Learning
System
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
As a whole, curriculum and learning materials development efforts are geared towards
the improvement of the economic status of Filipinos, particularly for those in marginalized
communities. ALS curricula and learning material are designed to be life skills-based so
that learning activities/exercise could directly solve real life challenges and issues. They
also promote entrepreneurial spirit and rudimentary income-generating skills as well as
the use of appropriate technologies for sustainable and productive use of resources in
different contexts. Curriculum and learning materials are developed in consideration
of age level, experience, cultural context and social milieu of learners. For this, local
implementers are involved as writers and they design the curriculum and learning
materials in close consultation with learners by way of pilots and direct feedback.
The ALS curriculum is designed to cater to the needs and requirements of marginalized
learners such as learners from poor households and indigenous people, Muslim
communities, victims of armed conflict, child and youth labourers, inmates and street
children. In order for it to be truly parallel to the formal system and for ALS graduates not
to be marginalized, it focuses on the same standards and competencies as the formal
system. However, ALS emphasizes “functionality”, which means that learners learn
not only the core knowledge, skills and competencies and values, but also their roles as
parents, family members, community members and workers. Special consideration has
been given to contextualizing curriculum for indigenous peoples by adding content
that meet their unique circumstances such as protection of ancestral domains, family
life, health and sanitation while maintaining the same standard competencies.
Special Emphasis on Core, Basic Reading, Writing and Numeracy
Learning materials are developed to ensure the development and mastery of
communication skills, science and math, social studies, and entrepreneurship from
simple to complex levels. Information-rich learning materials developed by government
and industry agencies are collected by BALS then adapted to meet the diverse needs of
learners. Materials are also adapted to the various delivery methods to reach learners
in remote areas, such as mobile teaching, clan teaching, radio, TV and more recently,
digitised modules.
Learners who complete all modules are able to take accreditation and equivalency
(A&E) tests in order to enter the formal system or seek Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA) industry skills certification.
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
Case presentation 5
Non-Formal Primary Education and Equivalency (Bangladesh)
Mr A.N.S Habibur Rahman,Consultant, Reaching Out-of-School Children Project, Directorate of Primary Education
Bangladesh has had a long history of non-formal education (NFE) delivered largely
by various non-state providers. The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education has
memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with many of these non-state providers but
does not provide direct management of their ALPs at this time. Until the 1980s, NFE
was mostly designed for youth and adults. This created a demand to educate their
children. The demands made by neo-literates and lessons learnt from the programme
prompted the authorities and especially NGOs, to initiate non-formal primary education
(NFPE) for children aged 8-14 years who were mostly first generation learners. NFPE in
Bangladesh is a supplementary and complementary form of formal primary education.
Approximately 6 million children have studied under NFPE in the last three decades.
Existing NFPE Programmes and Approaches
NFPE shares many commonalities regardless of who provides the programme. These
include one teacher for one Learning Centre (LC); 25 to 35 children in an LC; a single
cohort for a total cycle of completion; and small houses used as classrooms with learners
sitting in a U shape on mats on the floor for 2.5 to 4 contact hours each day. The
training of most teachers for NFPE is similar. NFPE teachers generally receive two weeks
foundation training followed by three to four days of refresher training at the beginning
of every academic year. Residential training of teachers is strongly recommended.
In contrast, differences are found with programme duration and post-NFPE options.
Since the inception of NFPE, most of the programmes were run by NGOs for durations
of three years, or to complete five year cycle of formal primary education, covering
functional literacy with an option to undertake further education. Some NGOs offer
the programme to be completed in four years. Most NGOs provide NFPE so that
learners can enrol in formal schools; while other NGOs focus on linking the learners
with vocational and livelihood education .The Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROSC)
project undertaken by the Government of Bangladesh through the Ministry of Primary
and Mass Education was designed for a cycle of five years using the same instructional
materials as the formal system. Another government run project, “Basic Education
for Hard to Reach Urban Working Children” (BEHTRUWC), was run by the Bureau of
Non-formal Education of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education. It was designed
for 40 months (eight months per academic year for five years) uses its own curriculum
and gives emphasis on functional literacy and life skills.
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
Curriculum
Curricula in each NFPE project are not the same. Some programmes use the full
government curriculum of five core subjects (Bangla, Math, English, Science and
Environmental Study), while some NFPE use an abridged version of the curriculum
for a shorter period. Others use their own curriculum up to grade 3 and switch to
the government curriculum from grade 4. Yet others use a curriculum that is linked
with pre-vocational courses and some use a project-based own curriculum with
emphasis on life skills. One of the lessons learned about curricula is that they need
to be adopted to ensure the inclusion of children in difficult circumstances. For this,
the Child-Centred Curriculum developed for NFPE has many benefits, including
(1) it developed collectivism among the learners, (2) it can attend to individual learner’s
own needs, (3) it can introduce life skills education, (4) it uses games in the teachinglearning process; and (5) it provides all learning materials.
In order to build strong literacy and numeracy skills, it was found that emphasis should
be placed on learners as independent readers from the initial stage, provide creative
writing practices, link math with day-to-day transactions and introduce project work
in learning activities to solve problems.
Teaching and Learning Materials
In 2010 the government made it mandatory for all NGOs to use government textbooks
for conducting NFPE programmes as a milestone towards achieving the goal of
equivalency. The government provides textbooks for all children irrespective of formal
and NFE. To overcome the difficulty of integrating formal textbooks into their delivery
methodology, NGOs have introduced guidebooks for teachers, training programmes
for teachers and supplementary reading materials based on the textbooks.
Tips for a Successful NFPE Programme
Some of the lessons learned for the successful NFPE include introduction of user-friendly
teachers’ instructional materials; activity based teaching-learning processes; use of
teaching-learning aids; regular practice of co-curricular activities; use of supplementary
reading materials; introduction of a school preparedness period; no homework or
private tutorial support; strong remedial measures through peer learning; emphasis of
active learning; use of mother tongue for ethnic minorities in early grades; recruiting
teachers from the learners’ own community; and teacher training about inclusive
education for children with disabilities.
Current challenges
Since 2009, NFPE in Bangladesh has been geared towards achieving the goal of
equivalency. The government has introduced a common public examination after
completion of a five year cycle of primary education which is also implemented in
NFPE programmes. The children who complete the cycle in a less time also appear
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
in the public examination. A side effect of the equivalency measures introduced by
the government at the primary level seems to be that some NFPE learners are now
at risk of being pushed out of education if they do not meet age-appropriate levels
of competence or consistently fail to succeed in the public exam. Therefore, further
development of equivalency measures may need to be undertaken with diversified
potential outcomes such as the option of linking learners with vocational education
and other forms of life skills certification. As mentioned earlier, some NFPE programmes
already link learners to vocational education rather than back into the formal system.
Case presentation 6
Alternative Learning Programmes for Primary Education to
Reach the Unreached through “Paket A”-2 (Indonesia)
Mr Ngadirin Harjautama
Comparable to Indonesia’s formal curriculum, the Paket A programme is divided into
units. The curriculum content of Indonesia’s Paket A Programme includes moral and
religious education, personality and citizenship, science and technology, arts, sport
and health. The learning outcome focuses on basic literacy (reading, writing and
numeracy skills), life skills education, and preparing for the next level of education
(Paket B or Junior Secondary School). Eleven subjects are covered. They include religious
education, citizenship, Indonesian language, mathematics, natural and social sciences,
arts, culture, sport and health, functional skills, local content, and personal development skills (slide 19). The functional skills are optional and the local content can be
integrated to other subjects. The learning process scheme uses the competency credit
unit (CCU), and the total is 204 CCU. This means that students should take 204 CCU
to complete the Paket A Programme. Learning is conducted a minimum of twice a
week in the classroom during the academic calendar (from July to June).
Indonesia’s Paket A Curriculum prepares learners to sit the national examination (see
Case Presentation 14 in Section 4 on Assessment of Learning Outcomes) just as in the
formal system. The national examination covers citizenship, mathematics, Indonesian
language, natural science and social science. It is held twice a year in July and October.
Students from either system are eligible to take the test and receive certification which
is well recognized throughout the country.
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
Slide 19: Paket A Curriculum Structure
No.
Subjects
Level 1
Level 2
Total
1
Religious Education
9
9
18
2
Citizenship
9
9
18
3
Indonesian Language
15
15
30
4
Mathematics
15
15
30
5
Natural Science
12
12
24
6
Social Science
9
9
18
7
Art and Culture
6
6
12
8
Sport and Health
6
6
12
9
Functional Skills **)
9
9
18
10
Local Content **)
6
6
12
11
Personal Skill Development
6
6
12
102
102
204
TOTAL
Notes: *) 1 ccu competency credit) = 1 face to face meeting + 2 hours tutorial or 3 hours self learning, **) Optional, ***) could be
integrated in other subjects
Source: © Mr Harjautama
The maximum number of students in a Paket A class is 20. The ratio of textbooks is one
per child. A syllabus for each subject should be developed by the institution/teacher,
based on the competency standards set in the national curriculum. The standard also
requires a teaching plan and a student learning report.
Case presentation 7
An Overview of Alternative Learning Programmes in Nepal
(Nepal)
Mr Gopal Prasad Bhattarai, Deputy Director, Non-Formal Education Centre (NFEC), Bhaktapur
Mr Tap Raj Pant, National Programme Officer, UNESCO Office in Kathmandu
National frameworks for ALPs
There is a constitutional right to education in Nepal. ALPs have emerged during the
development of the NFE subsector in the country, which was further accelerated by the
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
EFA agenda. ALPs for primary education, initially conceived as education programmes
for unschooled girls, were also used for conflict affected children during the troubles.
Due to their importance, ALPs have been given space in the tenth five-year National
Development Plan 2002-2007 (National Plan of Action for EFA 2001-2015). A ten year
literacy and NFE policy and programme framework was developed and endorsed in 2006.
ALPs in Nepal
Current ALPs include:
• Flexible Schooling Programme (FSP): is equivalent to formal primary grades I-V and
its target learners are children of age 8-14 years old who are working and marginalized,
children with financial and social difficulties, those affected by conflict and children from
minority linguistic groups. Children study at their FSP centre for four hours per day, six
days a week. Currently, there are 500 FSP centres in operation where 10,000 children
are learning. A nearby formal school, called the “mother school” is responsible for the
supervision and monitoring of FSP centres. Facilitators and teachers of FSP are required
to possess the same qualifications as primary school teachers and they are selected from
among local eligible persons by the community and mother school. FSP facilitators/teachers
receive 5-7 days training every year. The operational budget of FSP comes from government.
• School Outreach Programme (SOP): is a three year primary education for grade I-III
and it targets children of 6-8 years old who live far from formal schools. Therefore, SOP
learners attend a class in an accessible location that is identified by a mother school.
Currently there are 3,000 children enrolled in the SOP who are expected to be integrated
into grade IV at the mother school.
• Urban Out-of-School Programme (UOSP) is a 20 month programme equivalent to
grade III (Level 1) and grade V (Level 2), which is supported by UNICEF in partnership
with the Ministry of Labour (MOL) and the Ministry of Local Development (MOLD). It is
provided as a complementary programme of FSP to 10-14 year old working children in
seven urban areas.
• Girls Access to Education (GATE), supported by UNICEF, is a 9-month programme run
in partnership with NGOs and MOLD. The GATE programme targets 10-14 years old outof-school Muslim girls who do not necessarily feel comfortable attending local schools.
• Mother Tongue-Based Equivalency Programme for School Drop-outs,
supported by UNESCO in 2010 to 2011, was a ten month bridge course equivalent to
primary grade 3, piloted by NFEC in partnership with local NGOs. It was aimed at getting
primary level OOSC from the Mushar community in Dhanusha and Siraha districts, a most
disadvantaged group with a high drop-out rate, into the formal education system. The
programme was offered at six selected locations in the districts by facilitators with the
support of mother schools.
• Community-Assisted Schooling Programme (CASP)
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
39
ALP Curriculum in Nepal
Each ALP has developed a curriculum tailored to the specific needs of the learners.
For example, the NFEC developed a three year condensed course for FSP based on
the formal school curriculum of primary grades, though there is enough flexibility
in each of the core subjects that local content can be included, as appropriate. The
core subjects for the condensed course include social study, math, Nepali, English and
science. Non-core content such as music, arts and drawing is included in social study.
Environment, health and physical education are included in science. More importantly,
each core subject has room for local content.
The SOP has the same curriculum, textbooks and working hours as formal schools.
The UOSP allows learners to enrol in formal schools based on their competencies
then provides supplementary training in literacy, numeracy and life skills, including
protection issues, as per its specific curriculum.
© UNESCO Islamabad
The GATE’s curriculum includes literacy, numeracy, arithmetic and reproductive health.
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
A locally relevant condensed course in the Maithili language was developed for Mother
Tongue Based Equivalency Programme for School Drop-outs within the FSP curriculum
framework by a group of local experts including facilitators and formal school teachers.
Specialised study materials were also developed in the language. Current challenges
and lessons learned
Some of the challenges faced by ALP facilitators in Nepal include: the different needs
of various OOSC groups (one size fits all is not applicable); resource constraints (only
1.7 per cent of the national education budget is allocated for NFE), ALPs are considered
second-rate education – which leads to limited human resource availability; there is no
clear equivalency system, monitoring and information database systems are weak; and
the terrain within the country is also a challenge when attempting to reach learners in
remote areas.
Lessons learned include: linking OOSC with vocational training in collaboration with a
local authority such as the Chamber of Commerce; developing mechanisms to develop
an individual profiling of each child; contextualizing the NFE curriculum; reintegrating
life skills and livelihood skills into the NFE curriculum; and formulating the certification
system. From the mother tongue programme, lessons learned include: involving local
experts, teachers and facilitators in materials development to localize content; frequent
supervision and interaction among learners, facilitators and community members
contributed to almost no drop-out from the programme; and the use of the mother
tongue as the medium of instruction at primary grade contributed to reducing dropout rates and repetition rates.
Case presentation 8
Achieving Peace Through Accelerated Learning Programmes
(Sri Lanka)
Dr Brenda Haiplik, UNICEF Senior Education Advisor
Following a rigorous needs assessment of students’ competency levels in Grades 3-9 in
the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka during which displaced learners showed
significantly reduced achievement levels vis-à-vis a reference group of non-displaced
students, UNICEF assisted the Sri Lankan MOE to develop an accelerated alternative
learning programme (ALP) as a remedial action to assist learners. The programme
provided students who had fallen behind their age appropriate competency with the
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
opportunity to catch up and mainstream into formal school. Despite operating in
logistically difficult circumstances amongst makeshift facilities, the programme helped
to reduce the likelihood of drop-out and provided teachers with key skills and resources
to promote inclusive education.
Curriculum of ALP
ALP uses the national curriculum, national textbooks and 18 ALP teachers’ handbooks
containing practical information on how to teach the condensed syllabus effectively.
Students receive instruction in core subjects promoting literacy and numeracy and cover
two years of the standard curriculum in one year. There are five ALP levels: ALP Level 1
covers grades 1-2, Level 2 covers grades 3-4, Level 3 covers grades 5-6, Level 4 covers
grades 7-8, and Level 5 covers grades 9-10. The core subjects for primary are Tamil,
mathematics and English, while those of secondary are Tamil, mathematics, English and
science. Children are placed by competency, not by age or previous grade. They enter
at the level they need and exit once they have caught up with their age group.
Outcomes of the programme
The five core outcomes of the programme are as follows:
Outcome 1 – Increased inclusion of education into peace building and conflict reduction
policies, analyses and implementation.
Outcome 2 – Increased institutional capacities to supply conflict sensitive education.
Outcome 3 – Increased capacity of children, parents, teachers and other duty-bearers to
prevent, reduce and cope with conflict and promote peace.
Outcome 4 – Increased access to quality and relevant conflict sensitive education that
contributes to peace.
Outcome 5 – Increased contribution to generation and use of evidence and knowledge in
policies and programming related to education, conflict and peace building.
This last outcome is particularly important because educators need to do a better job of
recording what is being done to reach OOSC in such a way that it can be understood.
The programme’s success highlights the strong potential of using education through
specifically designed curricula and its potential to build peace. The programme can also
be replicated beyond its initial target areas with just a little context-specific adaption.
2.3 Recommendations drawn from country case presentations
The potential to deliver alternative content to learners through ALPs is clear. However,
whilst adding elements of ALP curricula is certainly a possibility, it is critical to think
about the question “will there be enough time and resources to teach the standard
curriculum – for equivalency purposes – with all the following elements?”
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
• One common framework which includes basic curriculum standards and competencies
for primary education (which are to be delivered in both formal and alternative primary
education).
• Curriculum needs to be customized to target at-risk groups of OOSC.
• Additional/supplementary teaching and learning materials are needed to complement
the formal curriculum.
• Functional learning modules should incorporate real-life applications of learning.
• Multiple delivery methods should be used.
© UNESCO Islamabad
• Regional curricula can be mapped using a database.
43
PART TWO
Practical Guide and Current
Situation of ALPs in the Region
Section 3: Teacher/Facilitator
Requirements, Recruitment and Training
3.1 Introduction
The success of any school or programme – especially those involving learners at risk of
dropping out, or those with academic or behavioural problems – depends heavily on
qualified, caring teachers who are well trained. However, attracting sufficient numbers
of well-qualified individuals into education and specifically into ALPs is a challenge.
Learners in ALPs often have very different learning styles and do not have the same type
of educational support from their families and communities. Added to this, they often
lack the motivation to learn. They need teachers with strong content knowledge who are
creative and persistent and also willing to counsel and inform parents and community
members about the benefits of a full primary education for boys and girls alike.
In many countries, there are differences affecting social status and pay scales between
“community” or “para”– formal teachers and formally qualified teachers – the former
often have limited formal schooling, while the latter may have a degree from a
recognised teacher training institute. It is unclear whether either type of teacher has
an advantage when facilitating ALPs. There are often distinctions in their pedagogy.
“Community” teachers may have less working experience but may be more open to
new methods, while those with formal education may use more traditional practices.
Regardless of qualifications, all ALP facilitators require teacher support which can be
provided in a number of ways, as for example through peers or mentors.
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
3.2 Country cases
Case presentation 9
Training for Residential Bridge Course Facilitators in India (India)
Mr Venkat Reddy, Project Director, MV Foundation
The following case presents one example of NGO-run ALP teacher training that has
been undertaken by facilitators of the MV Foundation’s Residential Bridge Courses
(RBC) in India.
Background
Whilst India’s enrolment statistics are impressive, retention of students in school can be
difficult as they face social pressure to contribute to their families through labour and
the care of elders or younger siblings. Children from disadvantaged groups and girls in
particular, are most at risk of dropping out. MVF’s non-negotiable policy that all children
must be in school, not participating in child labour, has led to a need for consensus
building in the wider community. Based on constant meetings with the community
and grassroots level experience working with children, MV Foundation designed an
alternative strategy called “Residential Bridge Courses (RBCs)” for mainstreaming
OOSC. Initially, many OOSC showed reluctance to re-enter formal schooling if they
were not in age-appropriate grades, therefore the RBCs provide accelerated learning in
order for pupils to catch up and then re-enter the formal system in an age appropriate
class. The purpose of RBCs is to help OOSC in their transition from workers to students.
It prepares them not only to join schools but also prepares the parents of OOSC to
accept that their children are no longer available for work. It also assists schools to
accept older children by developing modalities for responding to the needs of the first
generation learners. Overall, the RBCs serve to establish links with the community that
helps them understand the possibilities of bringing older children back to school.
Strategies for Identification, Enrolment and Mainstreaming of OOSC
Social mobilisation is the important first activity for RBCs in order to: bring about
change in the attitudes of various stakeholders that prevent children from attending
school; create a norm in favour of children’s right to education; and create confidence
in the community that older children can re-join schools through the bridge courses.
For social mobilisation, not only local institutions such as gram panchayats and school
committees are involved, but also local youth, especially those so called “first generation
learners“ who can play an important role in the programme as partners.
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
OOSC are engaged in different forms of work. Before inviting children to attend RBCs,
the RBC facilitators contact them by various community interventions including a door
to door campaign, taking surveys, street play, a child to child campaign, exposure visits
to RBC camps, picnics to convince OOSC of the benefits of RBC, and making and
building societal confidence about children rejoining school. For this, local youth have
been proven the best protagonists for reaching out to these children because they
come from similar backgrounds and have an instinctive understanding of the children’s
situation. Empathy is an asset so facilitators are often first generation learners11
themselves. Therefore, as often as possible, facilitators from local backgrounds who
strongly believe social change is possible, are selected.
Facilitators’ Training
Facilitators are initially MVF volunteers or para-staff members. After several years’
service they may become full staff members and be issued with appointment letters.
As detailed in Slide 21, facilitator training is undertaken by an MVF resource group
which provides conceptual and thematic training about local norms, child rights and
the right to education, child-centred teaching-learning, specific problems faced by
girl children as well as MVF organizational goals. In addition, the resource group
provides academic and technical training for facilitators, including practical teaching
skills like teaching classes of mixed ability, building rapport and maintaining healthy
teacher-pupil relationships, setting up libraries, experiential learning, using texts and
do on. Facilitators are provided with on-going training and mentoring support which
increases their motivation and commitment.
Outcomes
MVF has successfully mainstreamed approximately 50,000 children into the formal
education system through its RBCs. The national and state governments have also
replicated the RBC model.
11 A first generation learner is one who is the first in their family to become literate and or attend formal or informal schooling of any kind i.e.
the previous generation of their family/community is unschooled.
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
Slide 20: The Training Topics Provided to MVF Facilitators by the MVF Resource Group
Training Facilitators
MVF has a resource group that provides curriculum support and
provides training to the facilitators in:
On thematic and conceptual issues like:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Child rights
Non-negotiable principles of the organisation
Community mobilization and motivation
Teacher-pupil relationship
Specific problems of girl children
Government policies and acts
Academic activities like:
•
•
•
•
Subject-wise training in planning to teach older children
Reading texts
Setting up a library
Experiential learning (through songs, story telling, games, cultural activities,
practical environmental science classes, field trips etc.)
• Teaching classes of mixed ability
• Using text books
Source: © MVF
Case presentation 10
Alternative Learning Programmes for Primary Education to
Reach the Unreached Through “Paket A” -3 (Indonesia)
Mr Ngadirin Harjautama, Directorate General of Basic Education, Ministry of Education and Culture,
Republic of Indonesia
Alternative primary education programmes which are recognized as equivalent to
formal education have been implemented in Indonesia since the 1990s. The main
alternative primary education programmes equal to primary level is known as Paket
A. Paket A is largely delivered in CLCs supervised under central, provincial, and district
education offices.
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
Teacher Requirement and Recruitment
In order to become Paket A tutors, teachers must meet very detailed guidelines, the
same as those for teachers in the formal system. Paket A teachers/tutors should have
a minimum of an undergraduate degree or Diploma IV in the related field of basic
education, based on the National Education Standard.
Teacher recruitment is conducted by CLC management in accordance with the teachers’
competency requirements as stated in the Minister’s Regulation No. 16/2007. Paket A
teachers/tutors must meet the following Competency Standards:
• Pedagogically, Paket A teachers/tutors must understand: the learners’ characteristics;
students’ development potential and learning theory; as well as having curriculum
development skills, teaching-learning process ability, ICT skills and communication skills,
and assessment and evaluation skills
• Personalities must be respectful, honest, responsible, confident and they should take
pride in being teachers
• Socially, teachers should be inclusive, objective and adaptable, and practice effective
communication and teamwork
• Professionally, they should master the subjects being taught, including content and
curriculum standards; develop teaching materials and ICT skills, committing themselves
to continuous improvement.
Teacher Training
Data shows that of the 6,100 Paket A teachers/tutors in 2008, approximately 40 per
cent did not yet meet the current requirements and 60 per cent are mismatched.
Teacher training is therefore a key strategy for improving the quality of Paket A delivery.
Teacher training is provided by district education boards in coordination with the
provincial and central education offices. The training budget comes from both local
and national budgets. There are grants for teachers to continue their education to
improve their qualifications. The government develops its professional improvement
system through developing core tutors and encouraging them to work together to
improve their skills and competencies.
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
Case presentation 11
Case from Thailand: Hill Tribe Schools (Thailand)
Dr Rangsun Wiboonuppatum, Education Officer, UNICEF Thailand
First it is necessary to know the numbers and social profiles of out-of-school children
(OOSC), as governments are often willing to do what they can if they are able to
understand the needs. It is clear that the UIS framework on out of school children can
be very useful. Thailand has a very small percentage of out-of-school children but in
reality 0.6 per cent translates to half a million OOSC. Thailand is listed as one of 15
countries where more than half of the world’s OOSC live. The government of Thailand
is committed to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Through legislation
and practice it provides fifteen years of free education to all school-aged children in
the country, regardless of whether or not they are Thai citizens.
This has led to the establishment of the so-called “Hill Tribe Schools” in four districts
in Mae Hong Son province in northern Thailand. These schools and the ALPs which
have been developed for delivery in the schools were primarily designed to cater for
those children living in remote rural areas, some of whom belong to ethnic minorities,
as well as their families who have the requisite documentation to enrol in the formal
education system of Thailand but have not previously had access to education.
Teacher Training
The committee set up to oversee this process emphasized that the sustainability of
these programmes is very important and would require dedicated teachers to serve in
remote areas. Therefore, teacher training is based on recruitment of local people who
are committed to the area; and providing education to first generation learners. There
are currently several Hill Tribe Schools, taught by government and UNICEF supported
teachers. Ongoing support is given to these teachers by way of a small stipend and
through bi-monthly meetings which have the dual purpose of providing professional
development, as well as being a networking opportunity for teachers in neighbouring
areas to connect with each other to avoid isolation. Training on instructional techniques
is integrated into these bi-monthly meetings, as is spiritual training (Photo 9) to increase
motivation and an ongoing service ethic.
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
Slide 21: Teacher Training Process for Hill Tribe School Teachers
Bimonthly
Orientation
Study Tour
Annual
Meeting
Team
Building
Spiritual
Training
Source: © UNICEF Thailand
It is possible that those “
pre-qualified” teachers who
are recruited locally may
complete professional training
whilst on the job through the
Teacher Training Institute which
they can attend on weekends in
order to become qualified
teachers. About ten of them
have become government
teachers or temporary teachers.
This provides additional
motivation. Importantly, efforts
are constantly made by local
branches of the Thai education
system and UNICEF, which
sponsors 17 of the teachers, to
provide recognition for their
service to boost morale.
3.3 Recommendations drawn from country case presentations
Teaching is a very demanding task. It is important to have rigorous recruitment, training,
supervision, and support procedures so that teachers can be trusted, especially when
they are developing their own curriculum and lesson plans. Ongoing teacher training
and networking are vital for giving teachers the requisite tools for the job and to
provide peer support and feedback mechanisms. ALP teachers also need salary or other
benefits (teacher training and/or teaching and learning materials could be an incentive)
appropriate to their local context, which provide for their professional development
and practical needs (especially when they incur extra transport and materials costs).
For this, it is critical that the ALP teachers and ALP programmes/schools are eventually
considered as part of the formal system.
ALP budget allocations are not yet mainstreamed in most countries. Therefore, funding
is usually provided on a project-by-project basis which results in limited sustainability.
Teacher training and supervision, both pre-service and in-service guidance and
support, is often one of the first programme costs to suffer. However, some countries
– such as Indonesia – do have a budget for ALP teacher training, now that it has
been integrated into the formal system. Under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the
Government of India’s flagship programme for achievement of universal elementary
education, programmes can apply for specific teacher training or supervision grants.
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Recommendations
• Local recruitment, especially “first generation learners”
• Institutional/human resource policies that support teachers
• Social and informal support from peers
• Career progression/professional development opportunities for “unqualified”
or pre-qualified teachers to become professional teachers
• Acknowledgement and compensation for teachers working in remote areas/difficult
circumstances
• Remuneration for teachers, including but not limited to salary (for non-volunteers)
and professional development
• Evaluation of teacher training programmes, particularly as they affect student
achievement/reintegration
© UNESCO Islamabad
• Research of specific innovative teacher training components that go beyond formal
school teacher training
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PART TWO
Practical Guide and Current
Situation of ALPs in the Region
Section 4: Assessment of Learning
Outcomes
4.1 Introduction
Assessment of Learning Outcomes consists of frequent monitoring of student/learner
academic progress through a variety of assessment procedures in order to improve
individual student/learner performance and also to improve the instruction and
programme.
4.2 Country cases
Case presentation 12
Assessment of Learning Outcomes of Students in BRAC
School (Bangladesh)
Mr Profulla Chandra Barman, Programme Manager, BRAC Primary School Operation
BRAC Primary School (BRS)
BRAC Primary School was developed as a model to provide good quality primary education
to the poor, disadvantaged and marginalized children, especially girls, who have dropped
out or never enrolled. BRS uses the national curriculum with many supplementary
materials. Children complete the five year primary cycle in four years. Around 30 to 33
students per class are learning with one teacher in a child friendly environment. There are
currently 22,618 BRSs where 670,815 children are learning (65.48 per cent are girls) and
4.95 million students completed the course (66.21 per cent are girls).
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
BRS caters to the various needs of children. For ethnic children, a multilingual education
through both medium of instruction in the mother tongue and the written script is
provided. For children with special needs (CSN), students are provided with assistive
devices and the classrooms are equipped with materials such as blackboards with
coloured borders [why colour?], ramps and braille [textbooks?] in addition to teacher
and staff training, curriculum adaptations and awareness building. BRAC also offers
Boat School. In some areas of Bangladesh flooding or seasonal water logging goes on
for six to seven months of the year. Boats are the only means of transport. Children need
boats to attend school but many parents cannot afford them [the fare?]. Thus BRAC
Boat Schools function as school buses and classrooms during the monsoon season.
Learning Outcomes of Learners in BRAC Schools
Learning outcome is the particular knowledge, skill or behaviour that a student is
expected to exhibit after a period of study. Learning outcomes reflect a nation’s concern
with the level of knowledge acquisition among its student population. Measuring
learning outcomes provides information on what particular knowledge (cognitive),
skill or behaviour (affective) students have gained after instruction is completed.
Monitoring student learning outcomes and school performance is multifaceted, and
the practice of monitoring varies substantially across countries. This multifaceted
monitoring can include large-scale national, sub-national or international assessments,
public examinations, school-based assessments and classroom assessments, which can
be standardized or non-standardized (Clarke, 2011).
In addition to diagnostic assessment to assess the needs of children during learner
selection, BRAC follows a formative and summative assessment system for assessing
student learning outcomes. BRAC emphasises ongoing assessment in the classroom
and periodic assessment after completing some lessons rather than a yearly or half
yearly formal examination. BRAC also assesses the needs of students and their weak
and strong areas so that corrective measures can be taken.
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
Assessment System in BRAC School:
1. Diagnostic Assessment
The diagnostic assessments focus on assessing the needs of the individual children during
learner selection and investigating their previous exposure to learning and curricula.
• Assessing children’s needs during learner selection
Learner selection is important for establishing a new BRAC school. BRAC staff do
the survey for selecting children. The findings of the survey like age, socio-economic
background, literacy background of the parents and children help teachers to design
and deliver the lessons in the classroom in the preparatory phase.
• Assessment for investigating knowledge of content:
When teachers introduce new content in the classroom, they assess prior knowledge of
the content with relevant discussions so that students can relate their experiences with
the new content. This way the children find the content easy and meaningful.
• Regular assessment for identifying weak areas
Assess students during lesson delivery, individual, peer and group assignments to
identify the weak areas and slow learners.
Assessment System in BRAC School:
2. Formative Assessment (Ongoing assessment)
After the initial testing before joining a programme, students undergo formative
assessment to identify learning gaps and progress made. This includes rigorous testing
on course content as listed below. Teachers are required to produce daily lesson
plans including stated learning outcomes for every lesson. Students then undergo
assessment on their understanding of the previous lesson, assessment on the current
lesson during lesson delivery, assessment on all content after completion of the lesson
and assessment on the whole week of lessons.
• Assessment of the previous lesson
At the starting point of each subject in the classroom the teacher has a question time
with the children to review the previously learned content so that learning will be long
and strong.
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• Assessment of the current lesson during content delivery
To assess knowledge, attitude and skills, the teacher asks questions about the current
lesson, gives assignments, and has group consultation and presentations in the classroom.
• Assessment of the current lesson after completion of the lesson
After completion of each lesson the teacher assesses the students’ perception of the content.
• Assessment of all content after completing the whole lesson
After completion of a whole lesson on each subject, the teacher assesses the students’
final perception of the lesson.
• Assessment of one whole week of lessons
To understand the achievement level of learning outcomes of the students for the entire
week, the teacher uses different methods for assessing the children.
Different methods for ongoing assessment in the classroom
• Oral presentations
In oral presentations, the students present the content in a story, poem or summary in their
own language. Students also articulate their thinking in any subject selected by the teacher.
• Group presentations
Where group presentation is applicable, teachers divide the whole class into five groups.
Students prepare their lesson in a group guided by a leader. Every group presents and
answers questions from other groups.
• Quiz
In quiz time a class is divided into two groups. One group asks questions to another in
turn. The teacher is the moderator who keeps group score and announces the winner.
• Peer assessment
Teachers provide peer assessment in the regular assessment system. Learners assess each
other in a peer. There are some merits to this assessment as for example, saving the teacher’s
time, and developing students’ capacity to find common mistakes in their answers.
• Project assignments
Every project has some objectives. Through project evaluation BRAC discovers if project
objectives are achieved, whether lessons are learned, what the challenges are and so
on. This helps BRAC to apply new concepts, change the curriculum and improve training
in the next project.
In addition to the above, there are many other methods such as question time,
observation, journal writing, wall magazine preparation and experimentation.
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
Assessment System in BRAC School:
3. Summative Assessment
Periodic Assessment
After completion of certain lessons, a written examination is held through competency
based questions. In total, BRAC ensures that students undergo five to seven final
periodic assessments in each subject at each grade level. These assess the level of
students’ thinking based on Bloom’s Taxonomy by way of both knowledge-based and
evaluation-based questions. Assessments are mainly in written form. However, three
summative assessments focus on music, drawing, acting and reciting in each grade.
When poor performance or knowledge gaps are identified, remedial measures are
seen as crucial and can be targeted as a result of the assessments.
Formal Examination at the End of Grade V
Students also have the opportunity to undertake the Primary Completion Examination
administered by the government upon completion of Grade V. BRAC students have
approval to sit this exam. The test covers six subjects each with 100 marks, scored
according to a national grading system (BRAC students achieved a pass rate of 99.83
per cent in 2011). Before attending the examination the students take mock tests.
Assessment Through Monitoring of Student’s Learning Performance
Summative assessment of learning outcomes is also undertaken by external monitors.
To assess the students’ learning performance in each subject, BRAC Education
Programme (BEP) internal monitoring unit developed a checklist. For monitoring
learning outcomes, indicators are selected from among the lessons that are being
delivered on that day and the previous lesson. The assessment involves a short and
quick, paper–pencil test covering both knowledge and skills. Instruments are developed
by the monitors themselves; however, all monitors usually monitor the same skills
so that results can be aggregated. Monitors share the results of their monitoring
with staff members at different levels so that they can take measures to improve the
programme performance in order to reach desired outcomes. Re- monitoring is carried
out quarterly to learn about the results of actions taken to correct problems found in
the earlier monitoring visits. Also, the BEP internal monitoring unit analyses the data
from the field and reports every three months. The monitoring report allows BRAC to
pinpoint the weak areas of the students and to take remedial measures.
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Case presentation 13
Alternative Learning Programmes for Primary Education to
Reach the Unreached Through “Paket A”-4 (Indonesia)
Mr Ngadirin Harjautama, Official of the Directorate General of Basic Education, Ministry of Education and
Culture, Republic of Indonesia
The learning assessment is done through diagnostic, formative and summative
assessments. The result of the learning assessment is written in the student’s learning
result for every semester. At the end of the second level of Paket A, the students
should take the national examination for equivalency education which is also sat by
students in the formal education system. This allows students of either system to
receive a nationally recognised qualification and to progress to further study provided
they achieve suitable results.
As outlined on Slide 23 below, there are five subjects that are assessed nationally, i.e.
citizenship, Indonesian language, mathematics, natural science and social science. This
national examination is managed by the Education Evaluation Centre in collaboration
with the National Standard Education Board, both in the Ministry of Education and
Culture. There are criteria for children to be accredited as having completed their Paket
A Programme. The criteria are linked to the final score, i.e. a combination score of
60 per cent of the national examination and 40 per cent of the level 2 (equivalent to
Primary School Year 4-6) learning assessment reports. The passing grade for graduation
from Paket A is 5.5.
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
Slide 22: The structure of Indonesia’s National Exam Which Can be taken by Students Trained
in Either the Formal or Informal “Paket A” Schooling Systems
Paket ‘A’ National Examination (Ministry Regulation No. 35, Year 2012)
• National Examination > 5 subjects, financed by government
o
o
o
o
o
Citizenship
Indonesian Language
Mathematics
Natural Science
Social Science
• National Examination > twice a year (July, October)
o Citizenship
• Examination Substantial
o
o
o
o
National examination item frame made by Ministry of Education & Culture
The item test is made by the Education Evaluation Center in accordance with
the National Standard Education Board, MoEC
The graduation is based on the ending score: 60% score of national exam +
40% score rate of the level 2 report
The graduation criteria > minimum 5.5 for ending score
Source: © Mr Harjautama
Case presentation 14
Assessment in Alternative Learning System/Schooling
Programmes for Primary Education to Reach the Unreached
(Philippines)
Ms Sevilla A Panaligan, Chief of Continuing Education Division, BALS, Department of Education,
Government of the Philippines
Regular Learning Assessment
The Philippines ALS conducts an entry level assessment, when learners enter the
programme, to assess whether their understanding or previous education places
them at a basic, elementary or secondary level. Once they commence learning, they
undertake constant formative assessments, the results of which are placed inside
each leaners individual learning portfolio, which they can take with them should they
transfer to another location.
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Equivalency Examination
Equivalency tests are available to ALS students at several levels. If learners pass the
Elementary Test, which they are allowed to do as long as they have reached the age
that the test would be taken in the formal system, they are eligible to enrol in the
formal school system at the appropriate level.
At the secondary level, once learners have attended an ALS learning intervention, they
are able to take certification and equivalency tests and then proceed to college. This
certification is accepted by most colleges except public universities. Because tuition
there is provided free of charge there is much more competition so they are stricter
than private universities when granting admission. Therefore, BALS staff conduct on
average four meetings per year with the public universities to help them understand
the leaning outcomes and capabilities of ALS learners, in a bid to increase acceptance
of ALS certification. The university entrance examination is also administered for
Filipino people living overseas.
The university entrance equivalency exam itself consists of 250 multi-choice questions
and a composition writing section. The standard duration is 4.5 hours. The aim of
the composition section is to assess whether learners can write and think critically. If
they fail it they cannot pass the test as multi-choice can be guessed. To date almost
230,000 ALS learners have passed the university entrance level equivalency test. Many
have gone on to higher education and others receive promotions at work.
4.3 Recommendations drawn from country cases presentations
Recommendations:
• Alternative learning assessments to measure common learning standards. Learner
assessments don’t necessarily have to look identical to be equivalent; variation in learner
assessment methods can allow for alternative curriculum, learners’ experience, etc.
• Overall assessment can be a combination of both formative and summative assessments
• Assessments can be locally created by vetted national and government bodies
• Assessments should be conducted frequently and at convenient locations
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PART TWO
Practical Guide and Current
Situation of ALPs in the Region
Section 5: Logistics and Management
Including Budgeting and Resource
Mobilization and M&E
5.1 Introduction
ALPs should be designed to meet the different needs of students/learners and provide
students/learners with a range of learning interventions. In many countries, ALPs
are delivered through service providers, including NGOs, who are contracted by the
responsible government authority. Establishing standards that have to be reached
and setting up an efficient and transparent assessment system are necessary toward
improving the quality of ALPs. In addition, the successful implementation of ALPs
depends largely on adequate financial support and effective resource mobilization.
Financial support of alternative learning programmes is critically important to longterm sustainability on top of ensuring on-time delivery and quality, and this funding
can come from various sources: national or local governments, civil society institutions,
NGOs and donors. On the other hand, resources must be mobilized to ensure the
effective delivery of alternative education. Such resources include: teachers/instructors,
classroom materials, infrastructure and budgeting for operational expenses.
Logistics, Management and M&E
Dr Ros Morpeth, National Extension College of The Michael Young Centre, Cambridge, UK
When considering logistics, management, monitoring and evaluation one must first
identify diversity of need, target communities, policy and framework, curriculum,
teacher training and the like. Monitoring and evaluation can show what works and
what doesn’t, allowing smoother decision-making when choosing which ALP structures
will work in a particular local context. However, there seems to be a reluctance to talk
about what doesn’t work, which is unfortunate when considering this topic because
that is how we learn and avoid pitfalls. In reality ALP logistics are about sustainability.
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Flexible Learning Strategies: Country Case Report
Case presentations 15
The Alternative Learning System in the Philippines (Philippines)
Mr Roderick P. Corpuz, Education Programme Specialist II-Literacy Division, Bureau of Alternative Learning
(BALS) Department of Education
Implementation Scheme of ALS including Finances and Budgeting
In the Philippines, ALS are delivered by the Department of Education, with ALS facilitators and District Managers managing learning interventions in far flung areas.
Their salaries are therefore provided by the national government. The government
contracts out ALS delivery to various non-government organizations, church-based
organizations and civil society groups. There are a grand total of 6,402 implementers
around the country (Slide 23). The cost of contracting an organization as a service
provider for 10 months with a minimum of 50 learners is approximately 110,000
Philippine Pesos (PHP) (approximately USD 2,706), while the cost of contracting an
individual as a service provider (or literacy volunteer), serving 50 learners is PHP75,000
(approximately USD 1,845) for 10 months (see Slides 24 and 25). This means that the
total cost per learner is PHP 1,200 (approximately USD30).
Slide 23: Number of ALS Implementers in the Philippines
ALS Implementers
Number
Mobile teachers
2,281
District ALS Coordinators
2,390
AGAP
719
Service Providers Contracting:
•
•
•
•
Basic literacy Programme (BLP) Facilitators
Accreditation & Equivalency (A & E) Managers
Balik Paaralan Para Sa Out-of-School Adults (BP-OSA) Instructional Managers
Indigenous People (IP) Facillitators
GRAND TOTAL
Source: © BALS
204
204
570
34
6,402
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
Slide 24: Cost of Contracting an Organization as Service Provider
Item of Expenditure
1. Honorarium of the facilitator or Instructional Manager (IM) (w/o tax deduction)
2. Cost of Materials and supplies to be used by the Facilitator or IM
3. Management fee of the service provider
4. Training Expenses of the Facilitator or IM as participant to a 3 to 5-day training
conducted once by the Regional Office and once by the Division Office
5. Monitoring and Evaluation fee for DepEd Supervisors during visits
made at:
• Midpoint of contract period
• End of contract period
Grand total per learning contract
Total
P 60,000.00
P 5,000.00
P 30,000.00
P 5,000.00
P 10,000.00
P 110,000.00
Slide 25: Cost of Contracting an Individual as Service Provider (Literacy Volunteers)
Item of Expenditure
1. Stipend
2. Teaching Aid
3. Transportation Allowance
Grand total
Total
P 50,000.00
P 5,000.00
P 20,000.00
P 75,000.00
Continuous networking and linkage with other government organizations, NGOs and
civil society groups, ALS implementers, donors, communities and other stakeholders
for potential partnerships is an important factor for the successful management of ALS
especially in terms of decision-making.
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Monitoring and Evaluation
In terms of monitoring and evaluation, an annual “Kumustahan sa Barangay”
is conducted. This is a non-threatening strategy, an informal way to generate
information from implementers, beneficiaries and stakeholders about the programme
implementation (see photos of the process on Slide 28). An “ALS Inter-Regional
Monitoring and Evaluation Scheme” is also used. As shown in Slide 29, several forms
are filled out which keep track of financial, management and administration and
technical data. This in-depth monitoring has enabled several innovations to meet the
challenges observed. For example, better networking between relevant stakeholders,
individual learning portfolios and non-traditional assessments which facilitate learners’
progress as well as connections to industry. The latter can help learners to access
livelihood training and earn trade certification.
Slide 26: Monitoring and Evaluation Forms used by ALS in the Philippines
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Forms
1. M&E 001 (Financial) – This form is used to monitor disimbursement and liquidation of funds allocated to
the different learning centers and programs at the district and division levels.
2. M&E 002 (Management and Administration) – This form is used to monitor distribution and utilization
of allocated manpower, supplies and materials. It also allows to benchmark best practices in the
implementation of the ALS programs.
3. M&E 003 (Technical) – This form is used to monitor the processes undertaken in the implementation
of the programme
Source: © BALS
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
Case presentation 16
Management of an Alternative Learning Programme:
A Perspective by CARE India (India)
Ms Seema Rajput, Technical Specialist, CARE India
Background
CARE is an independent NGO which facilitates ‘Udaan(s)’ residential bridge courses,
which help out-of-school girls who are 10 to 14 years old to catch up to their age
groups then re-enter formal education. “Udaan” means “fly” in the local language
and its curriculum allows students to complete the whole five year cycle of primary
education and social education in 11 months. The programme can accommodate up
to 100 girls in one cycle.
Programme Management
The driving force for successful implementation is the motivation of all involved. As
shown in the Operational Strategy (Slide 28), CARE provides technical and financial
support to various partner non-governmental organisations (PNGOs) who takes the
lead role in managing the programme from undertaking needs analyses and community
mobilization then providing the human resources and logistical arrangements required
to run an Udaan within a given community.
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Slide 27: The Management Structure Established by CARE to Allow for the Running of Udaan
CARE
Technical and Support Financial
PNGO
Need Analysis
& Community
Mobilisation
Human
Resources
Logistic
Arrangements
UDAAN
Community
Support
Source: © CARE
The management of Udaan(s) consists of three stages which are pre-camp, during camp
and post camp. The pre-camp stage involves a formulation of a detailed implementation
plan, training and orientation of teachers to develop a basic understanding of Udaan
principles, management, identification and enrolment of girls through intensive social
mobilization, addressing safety and security measures and conducting an induction
camp for girls who have enrolled. Prior to the beginning of Udaan, a three day
residential camp called the induction camp is organized a week ahead of the actual
Udaan. This is a three-day familiarization exercise for all the stakeholders with the
students, teachers and organizers. On the fourth day the parents are invited and
there is a structured discussion with them in small groups and a single group with the
purpose of sharing the schedule and life of Udaan and motivating them to allow their
girls to stay throughout the year.
In a year, two more refreshers or in-service trainings are also organized when girls
complete level 3 and 4. Besides the training, there is on-site academic support provided
from time to time.
This induction camp provides exposure to what it would be like for girls to stay away
from home, and for the parents to manage the family work that their daughter used
to share and for teachers to have a sense of managing not only studies but also the
residential activities as well as the support team. It is planned to provide a sense of
confidence, that all of them can manage their duties.
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
The design of this exercise is such that it gives parents and daughters a chance to judge
for themselves that they can succeed. It also provides the organizers an opportunity to
finalise their selection of students. Parents also need to feel greatly reassured after this
experience, while the students need to feel that there is something to look forward to
by staying in the main camp.
In a year, two more refresher or in-service trainings are conducted when the girls complete
level 3 and level 4. Academic support is provided from time to time. The during-camp
stage consists of three aspects: academic management, day-to-day management and
management outside camp. Detailed activities under each management are shown in
Slide 28. At the post-camp stage, rigorous follow-up of Udaan graduates is conducted
through peer-to-peer meetings, liaison with parents and communities as well as school
and teachers.
Slide 28: Management Required During Camp
Academic
Management
• Integration of curriculum
with social and life skill
• Graded approach along
with time allocation
• Favorable pupil-teacher
ratio 1.25
• Six teachers
• Maximum learning without
undue pressure on children
and teachers
• Horizontal linkages across
subjects
• Activity-based and
experiential
• Use of locally made TLMs,
library and other reference
material
• Regular assessment of
curricular and co-curriculur
aspects
• Weekly planning
• Space for reflection
• Time for play
Source: © CARE
Day-to-Day
Management
Management
outside camp
• Clear-cut roles &
responsibilities for all
• VLWs maintain relationship
with parents/community
• Daily routine is put in order
• Community seminar to share
progress and issues on
quarterly basis
• Children’s committees for
various purposes viz food
preparation and distribution,
cleaning of whole camp, library,
sport, health, material etc.
• Ensuring play ground and
play equipment, water and
sanitation facility, cooking
area, etc.
• Common menu as per
nutritional standards
• First aid kit
• Library
• Standardized formats to
maintain records like IEP,
visitors register, enrolment
and attendance, leave
• Voluntary contribution from
community
• Fixed day or meeting girls
• Establishing relationship with
formal school and teachers for
smooth mainstreaming
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In order to ensure smooth implementation of camp activities, the support of students
plays a big role. Different committees for cleaning the whole area, serving food,
supporting the kitchen, maintaining the library and sports materials, conducting
morning assembly etc. are constituted through democratic elections. Each girl gets the
experience of being in each committee as they rotate. The experience benefits them in
other ways. The girls know everything about the process of election, the importance
of democracy and the significance of transparency.
Finances
The operational cost per girl for one year’s attendance at an Udaan is approximately
INR23,000 – 24,000/year (approximately USD428). This takes into account the board
and lodging of the girls; salaries of teachers and other staff; materials; training; and
administrative services or overheads. The total cost is divided by the number of girls
reached through the project in order to provide the cost per child.
Detailed implementation plans with clearly defined roles for all stakeholders are drawn
up for running the camps and having been through a programme, camp participants
are tracked through the resulting long-lasting community relationships (Slide 29). In
addition, CARE holds monthly review and planning meetings with their partner NGOs
all of which generate a progress report every quarter. CARE also conducts an annual
review and makes use of web-based monitoring, all of which feeds into frequent
research studies.
Relationships with other agencies
Udaan has relationships with other agencies in a direct or indirect manner. For example,
local government at the grass roots level, Panchayati Raj institutions, play an important
role in monitoring camp activities. They also ensure that after mainstreaming girls from
Udaan to a formal school, the girls continue their education. Similarly, local partners
network with other NGOs or institutions that run their own schools so that girls can be
mainstreamed in those schools after Udaan. Also PNGO provide their technical expertise
to other local NGOs who work for out-of-school children. At the national level, it is CARE
India who deals with the advocacy issues vis-à-vis Udaan and issues related with out-ofschool children. For example, experience from Udaan has been introduced to Kasturba
Gandhi Balika Vidhyalayas (KGBV) a residential school for never enrolled and dropped
out girls, run by the Government of India. The bridging strategy and management
aspects of Udaan have been introduced in KGBVs run by many state governments.
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
Slide 29: Relationships Between Agencies
Relationship between agencies
Relationship with local government (village head, local authority-PRI)
• Monitoring the camp activities
• Ensuring continued education of mainstreamed girls
Relationship with other NGOs – networking
• Mainstreaming of students
• Providing technical expertise
Relationship with a system/government at the National level
• Advocacy-expansion/adaptation of model and its processes
Source: © CARE
Monitoring and Evaluation
In camp, the camp co-ordinator monitors the classes daily, for which classroom
observation tools (COT) have been developed. Support for teachers is also provided
and there are weekly meeting for co-ordinators and teachers. For the monitoring of
the programme, monthly, quarterly and annual reviews are conducted in co-operation
with PNGOs.
Lessons learned from the Udaan programme and recommendations
• Operationalize follow-up of graduates, schools and communities
• Have regular contact with the community and encourage their involvement
• Careful planning and resource mapping to achieve goals
• Integration of life skills education into the mainstream curriculum
• Address safety, security and issues related to hygiene for girls
• Providers should forge relationships with ongoing formal institutions to allow for learners
to transition/mainstream into further formal opportunities such as higher education and
workforce institutions
• Government and providers need to conduct public awareness campaigns on the multiple
pathways to education
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Case presentations 17
Multiple Pathways of Education in Afghanistan (focus on
CBS and ALC) (Afghanistan)
Mr Mohammad Naeem Baheen, MOE General Education Director, Ministry of Education (MOE) Afghanistan
Mr Ahmad Sha Azizyar, Education Specialist, UNICEF Afghanistan
Policy support for ALPs in Afghanistan exists in several documents: the National
Constitution, education laws, the National Education Strategic Plan and the community
based education (CBE) national level guidelines. While a free of charge education up to
a bachelor degree is obligated by the constitution, ALPs are currently delivered through
off-budget assistance by the Ministry of Education and NGOs in two educational
modalities: community based education and accelerated learning programmes.
Learners in CBE programmes are out-of-school children in the remote and insecure
parts of the country. Accelerated learning programme participants are older children
between 10 to 15 years of age. Mosque-based education is another form of ALP
operating in Afghanistan. All of these modalities are being supported by the World
Bank’s Global Partnership for Education. In 2012, the estimated unit cost per student
in formal schools was USD45 to USD50 while the cost per student in ALPs is estimated
at USD70 to USD75 per year. The government is attempting to bring the costs of ALPs
within budget otherwise the long-term sustainability of funding is uncertain.
Case presentation 18
Sharing on Mother Tongue Based Equivalency Programme
for School Drop-outs in Nepal (Nepal)
Mr Tap Raj Pant, National Programme Officer, UNESCO Office in Kathmandu
Background
Although the interim constitution of Nepal declares the right of every citizen to an
education in their mother tongue, there are still 1.3 million children between the ages
of 6 to 15 years out-of-school. Fifteen per cent of them drop out from primary grades
1 to 3. Language is one of the reasons for drop out (for details about language barrier,
see the presentations on OOSC Initiatives in the Part 1, Session 2, Introduction to ALPs).
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
Management of Mother Tongue Based Equivalency Programme for School Drop-outs
The total cost of the ten month project was USD20,000. The initial enrolment was 122
children (80 girls and 42 boys) at the grade 3 and 4 level. Only four of that number
dropped out. Locally, the programme raised awareness among local community of
the need to educate their children. The Mushar Uthhan Committee (an association for
Mushar people) has introduced this course in other districts with support from other
donors. At the national level, NFEC now has plans to test this methodology further in
another language context in 2012/2013.
5.3 Recommendations drawn from country cases presentations
Recommendations (1) overall management; (2) finances and budgeting; (3) service
delivery; and (4) monitoring and evaluation
o Institutional linkages between formal and alternative primary schooling
o Institutional and non-institutional capacity building
o Co-ordinating mechanisms between formal institutions, i.e. primary schools and
known community entities, etc.
o pre-planning and resource mobilization from all key stakeholders including active
public-private partnerships
o Monitoring and evaluation of learner enrolment, completion, and transition rates
(into formal institutions and employers). Also M&E of learner achievement rates.
o Avoiding duplication of programmes, strategic targeting of ALPs
o Distribution of resources between regions and the sub-national level
o Political and security situation contingency planning
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© UNESCO Islamabad
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PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
PART TWO
Practical Guide and Current
Situation of ALPs in the Region
Section 6: Community Involvement
(Communication Strategies, Advocacy
and Social Mobilization)
6.1 Introduction
Parent and community involvement focuses on the establishment of partnerships
between schools/learning centres, home, community agencies, industry, government
etc. based on mutual respect and collaboration which will result in improved student
and programme performance. On another level, do ALPs involve parents, families, local
community groups or even religious centres? Community involvement is important as
it allows the local people to be involved in the decisions that will affect their lives. In the
case of ALPs, the community has an important role to play in their implementation. This
is largely because ALPs need social advocacy so that all children can avail themselves of
these programmes. For example, in some cases, the largest participation in ALPs is by
girls. However, social and religious restrictions might make it difficult for them to join
and stay engaged in education programmes. Social motivation and proper advocacy
by the community can help to bring these groups into ALPs.
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Case presentation 19
Community Involvement: 2nd Chance Education in
Bangladesh (Bangladesh)
Mr Tapon Kumar Das, Programme Manager, CAMPE Dhaka
The Government of Bangladesh education policy shapes the framework of both the
formal and informal education systems alike. Providing basic and primary education is
a constitutional obligation of the government. Moreover, the country has confirmed
its commitment to basic education in two world conferences on Education for All
(EFA). The Education Policy 2010 mentioned that “Primary education will be free for
all and compulsory up to class-VIII.” The policy also emphasized involvement of local
communities in the process. Although Bangladesh has made significant progress in
primary education, there were still 1.8 million children out of school in 2010. Moreover,
there is a high dropout rate (47 per cent). Therefore, as a result of these policies and
the frameworks set up to deliver on the goals they provide, both formal and informal
programmes are being targeted to reduce these numbers and ensure basic primary
education for all children.
The Government of Bangladesh has undertaken a Primary Education Development
Programme (PEDP-III) to address the learning needs of all children with equity. The
programme was designed ensuring broader participation of concerned government
agencies, Development Partners, academia along with other constituencies that include
NGO coalitions like CAMPE. It also emphasizes participation and accountability at all
levels of implementation, including at the community level. To supplement government
initiatives and to ensure the inclusion of child drop-outs, NGOs and Community Based
Organizations (CBOs) started implementation of non-formal primary education (NFPE)
programmes i.e. alternative primary education (PE ALPs) in 1985. Over the intervening
period, the number of NGOs and CBOs has increased. International donors have
provided funding. Meanwhile, some NGOs like BRAC, Friends in Village Development
Bangladesh (FIVDB), Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM), Underprivileged Children’s
Educational Programmes (UCEF) etc. developed some innovative models which are
being implemented all over the country through community involvement. These programmes are cost effective, equivalent, community-driven and sustainable.
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
Slide 30: The Concept of Community Development
Community involvement means a process of participation where concerned
people play a crucial role to identify the needs of their own community and
setting a priority relevant to the policies, strategies and expected outputs.
Oakley and Marsden (1987) defined community participation as the process by
which individuals, or communities assume responsibility for their own welfare
and develop a capacity to contribute to the community’s development.
Mothers
NETWORKING
Elites
Religious leaders
Teachers
COMMUNITY?
Guardians
other concerned
people
Representatives
NETWORKING
Source: © CAMPE
Community involvement is considered an important tool for successful implementation
of any development programme across the world. Community involvement means a
process of participation where the community identify their needs and set priorities
relevant to the policies, strategies and expected outputs (Slide 30). It also facilitates
individuals and communities to take responsibility for their own welfare and develop
a capacity to contribute to the community’s development. In Bangladesh, most of the
NGOs and CBOs are in the community. They implement education programmes with
the participation of the community which plays a crucial role in preventing absenteeism
and drop-outs, as listed in Slide 31.
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Slide 31: Examples of Community Committees
– Mothers Committee
– Parents/Guardians Committee
– Centre/School Management Committee (CMC)
– Event based Committee/Sub Committee
Following committee/Community Development process also
mandatory in formal primary schools in Bangladesh.
– Parents-Teachers Association
– School Management Committee (SMC)
– School Level Implementation Plan (SLIP)
– Upazila Primary Education Plan (UPEP)
Union Education Standing Committee (UESC) is a legal forum, responsible for
monitoring progress of primary education in respective union.
Source: © CAMPE
As shown in Slide 32, the process of community involvement advocated by the NGO
coalition CAMPE has four steps namely (1) advocacy at the grassroots, (2) capacity
development, (3) empowerment and 4) recognition with benefit sharing.
Slide 32: Steps for Community Involvement
Advocacy in grassroots
– Mobilization
– Motivation
– Group Formation
Empowerment
– Responsibility
– Authority
– Equipped with information
Capacity Development
– Right To Education
– Teaching Learning
– Supervision, Monitoring
– Equity
– Sustainability through local
– resource mobilization
Recognition with benefit sharing
– Formal and informal
Source: © CAMPE
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
Community empowerment is a particularly important part of the process and can be
achieved through delegation of authority to the community groups once capacity
building has taken place thus helping the groups to work well together. Community
empowerment can be effective in ensuring policy changes and appropriate flow of
resources amongst the community. The model that CAMPE follows is depicted in Slide
33. CAMPE works with communities to enhance their capacity to provide meaningful
feedback at all levels, local, regional and national. It also ensures adequate resources
are made available to the community so that they can implement policy and allocate
those resources in accordance with the policies that were developed with their input.
Slide 33: Level of Community Voice and Accountability
FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY
National Interventions through
CAMPE and Media for Policy and
Strategy Changes
Sub-national level interventions
through PNGOs for Opinion Building
and accelerating the process
implementation
POLICY DECISIONS & RESOURCES
Voice and
accountability
established
Grassroots interventions through
Community Education
Watch for Strength, Community,
Voice and Ownership
Source: © CAMPE
Some of the benefits and challenges of community involvement are shown in Slides
34 and 35.
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Slide 34: The Benefits of Community Involvement
Sharing project cost: Community can play managerial and supervisory role.
Community can contribute to develop physical infrastructure of school.
Community can play vital role to enrol all children in school, prevent
absenteeism which reduce drop-outs in school.
Increased Efficiency: Community people participate in organizing process
including planning and management, so that need-assessment delivery
mechanism become appropriate.
– No chance to create gaps in implementation process.
– Less scope for duplication and repetition.
Enhance Empowerment: Through community involvement and participation in
the decision-making process, people maintain a sense of ownership and control
over the resources allocated to their school/community.
Building capacity of the community: Community can have an opportunity to
receive informal and formal training and awareness raising programme, which
strengthened capacity of community in the long run.
Source: © CAMPE
Slide 35: Challenges Associated with Community Involvement
– Sometimes, existing policy, accountability, leadership, working space, time
schedules are non-supportive to work effectively and efficiently.
– Difference in the conditions and incentives associated with participation
such as staff and teachers get salary but other people are expected to
volunteer their time.
– Deficiency of knowledge and skill and social power in different stakeholders.
– Political groupings influence people to be scattered, not united.
– Volunteering is decreasing day by day.
Source: © CAMPE
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
CAMPE’s recommendations for facilitating effective community involvement are shown
in Slide 36 and include careful consideration of: who stakeholders actually are; the needs
and most effective strategies for meeting those needs; and the realistic constraints of
partnering with volunteers and retaining accountability vis-à-vis community partners.
Slide 36: CAMPE’s Recommendations for Facilitating Effective Community Involvement
PLEASE CONSIDER:
– Appropriateness of stakeholders (age, attitude, volunteerism, interest, etc.)
PLEASE IDENTIFY:
– Needs and the strategies to meet them
– Resources required to implement a strategy
PLEASE REMEMBER:
– Community involvement requires volunteerism
– Community is independent, but must be willing
– Community members are associates, not staff
PLEASE DO:
– Respect and trust in those you work with
– Enhance the voice of those participating
PLEASE TRY TO BE:
– Accountable to the community
Source: © CAMPE
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Case presentation 20
Community Involvement, Strategy and Social Mobilization of
NFPE in Myanmar (Myanmar)
Mr Tin Nyo, Project Director, National EFA Coordinator, Non-Formal Primary Education Project (NFPE),
Myanmar Literacy Resource Centre, Ministry of Education
ALPs were initiated in Myanmar in 1989 and introduced in the year 2000 as a UNDP
project. After the termination of this project, ALPs for primary education were
reintroduced as a joint project of the MOE and UNICEF starting from 2008/09. The
government recognized NFPE as a successful initiative. Non-formal primary education
is officially recognized by the Ministry of Education as an essential alternative learning
system for out-of-school children to complete primary education. The ministry provides
the necessary guidelines. The regional governments observe the launching of NFPE in
their respective regions and provide assistance. Due to the achievement of good results
by and for NFPE students, donors contributed cash and in-kind donations for regional
and township level implementation. Currently, the project covers 73 townships out of
which NFPE is being implemented in 45 townships with donors taking up 36 per cent
of the total budget.
Social mobilization activities such as the donations in kind and the tracking of such
donations depicted in Slides 37 and 38 are being organized at every township and
community with community members, social workers, well-wishers and local officials.
The Centre Management Committee, which is made up of community members, is
responsible for the welfare of the teachers and the learners.
Some of the strengths of the NFPE are the strong commitment of policy makers, the
MOE and the educators/officials/personnel running the programmes as well as the
continued assistance from UNICEF, contributions of donors, well-wishers and CSOs
along with effective networking among all stakeholders.
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
Slide 37: Tracking Donations to the NFPE Programmes in Myanmar
Above: Donation boards with the list of donors and their contributions; stationery, kinds of meal etc. for the learners
Source: © Tin Nyo
Slide 38: Donations in Kind to the NFPE Programmes in Myanmar
Community Mobilization
Above left: A barber giving his free service for hair dressing for the NFPE Learners
Above right: Sharing stationery by children from formal schools
Source: © Tin Nyo
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Some of the challenges faced include: learners’ absenteeism due to poverty, parents’
attitude towards education (it is not a priority), lack of regular resourcing - financial,
technical and manpower from various departments. These are addressed through
initiatives such as the school festivals depicted in Slide 39, which increase the interest
and support of parents and the wider community.
Slide 39: NFPE Learners Perform at School Festivals
Learner’s at Graduation
Ceremony and School
Festivals
NFPE learners performance
at school festivals help increase
the interest of parents and
community members
Source: © Tin Nyo
The way forward for NFPE in Myanmar should include expansion of NFPE and initiation
of NFMSE; strengthening of networks among all agencies, CSOs and the community
for financial and technical support; strengthening and empowering local communities
through decentralization; mobilization of potential resources; using media for awareness
raising activities; providing support for opportunity costs, supply and more Income
Generation Programme activities. The key requirement, however, is for Myanmar to
maintain momentum for the development and sustainability of NFPE.
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
Case presentation 21
Migrant Education in Ranong Province (Thai-Myanmar border)
(Thailand)
Mr Somkiert Aungkyimyint, Teacher, Ranong Community College and Volunteer Co-ordinator of Centres for
Quality of Life Development, Ranong Province
It is estimated that there are 10,000 migrants from Myanmar in Ranong province,
Thailand, of whom 4,000 are registered and 6,000 are unaccounted for. There are a
fixed number of thirteen Learning Centres (LCs) for migrants and stateless children in
Ranong, by order of the Governor.
Currently, these LCs can only service a relatively limited geographic area, though the
number of attendees is not restricted. Each centre must be supervised and funded by
an NGO which reports to the Thai government’s Ranong Education Department, which
has ultimate responsibility for migrant education. Since 2012, LCs must also be formally
registered, according to a new law. The LCs have developed their own curriculum, based
on Myanmar’s national curriculum. There is a significant Thai language component to
prepare children for mainstreaming into the Thai formal education system. Discussions
are underway that would either allow LC students to sit one of the formal exams offered
by the Myanmar education system at grades 9, 11 or 13 or for another placement test
to be developed in order for LC students to be reintegrated into the formal education
system of Myanmar.
Teachers in each of the LCs are drawn from the local communities, most of them
are Thai but there are also Burmese teachers who have migrated from the southern
part of Myanmar. The MOE and sponsor NGOs provide teacher training. Although
the NGOs who sponsor the LCs provide some funds and in-kind donations, parents’
contributions are the most significant source of funding and community involvement.
The latter includes cultural preservation through dance classes, Ranong Big Cleaning
Day, and vacations and study trips hosted by members of the local community.
6.3 Analytical Advice or Interpretation Drawn from
Country Case Presentations
Community involvement is vital to the success of ALPs. Community members and
parents contribute valuable resources and skills. Community engagement also ensures
that education is a priority in the wider community. This reduces the likelihood of dropouts and increases the chance that children will succeed in primary level ALPs then
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go on to further study, some transitioning to the formal education system and others
enrolling in higher level ALPs.
Recommendations
• Synergy between local formal system – i.e. local governments and schools and
alternative schooling for sustainability
• Co-ordination amongst local partners for management of ALPs
• Building local public-private partnerships, including communities, for resource
mobilization, service delivery and so on
• A community approach to curriculum, i.e. using local and relevant materials
(localizing the curriculum)
• A community approach to teachers, i.e. using local men and women to serve as
teachers (recruitment and support of teachers from local communities)
• Linking to local employers
• Community awareness on the right to education and multiple pathways to education
• Linkages to broader social protection programmes, i.e. conditional cash transfers,
scholarships, and other incentives
PART TWO: Practical Guide and Current Situation of ALPs in the Region
PART TWO
Practical Guide and Current
Situation of ALPs in the Region
Section 7: Concluding
recommendations
There are a number of alternative learning programmes taking place in countries in
Asia and the Pacific in the last decade. These programmes have been called equivalency
programmes, certified non-formal education (NFE) programmes, accelerated learning
programmes, second chance education, community-based education/school/learning,
flexible schooling programmes, complementary programmes, alternative learning
programmes, etc. One clear message is that there is no single solution for meeting the
needs of these children and that countries need to look at what works well within their
context and how they can build on this.
The following emergent themes have also been noted:
• Two approaches are emerging: revamping formal education to make
it more inclusive for disadvantaged children, and the need for ALPs
• Clear relationships/pathways must be defined
• One framework, common standards and operational standards desired
• Different contexts require different understanding. It is important to
know how, why, and when children are accessing/dropping out of school
and what do about it
• Emphasis on social equity
• Multiple public/private partnerships is needed at ALL levels to make it happen
• Linking both formal and ALPs together, i.e. promising examples in
the Philippines and Indonesia
• Taking into account lessons and good practices from ALPs to feedback
and apply in formal education
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Based on the lessons learnt from countries implementing ALPs,
the following recommendations are made:
• Develop approaches which are based on the belief that education programs
must adapt to the needs and circumstances of all children and young people
• Build close partnership between the Government and NGOs. This will allow
for the adoption of a community-based approach used by NGOs within an
overriding government framework and supportive legislation
• Ensure equivalency of accreditation
• Ensure ease of transition between alternative and regular education provision
through credit accumulation and transfer
• Take into consideration the potential for accelerated curriculum and a
curriculum which allows children and young people to gain educational
skills alongside competencies for 21st century skills
• ALPs should have flexible delivery which can adapt to the life patterns
of children and young people, and also the ability to make use of multiple
modes of delivery where appropriate
• Adopt where possible a community-based approach, recruiting teachers
from the community and training them to work holistically, supporting social
as well as educational aspects of children’s lives and also facilitating change
in community attitudes
• Increased political commitment to ALPs, including increased government
fund allocation for ALPs
• Use of communication for development strategies to raise community
awareness on the right to education and multiple pathways to education,
and strengthen community engagement in ALPs
Alternative, flexible and inclusive learning programmes equivalent to conventional/
traditional schooling and accredited by the government will be the key for addressing
access to quality education for all learners in the 21st century and a future-oriented
approach to basic education. These will enable children to acquire not only basic literacy
and numeracy but also the competencies/life skills required to live in a globalized world.