BILANG bahagi ng misyon ng Department of Education (DepEd) na walang mag-aaral na maiiwan, patuloy ang pagkakaloob ng ahensiya ng pagbibigay ng de kalidad na edukasyon sa mga bilanggo sa pamamagitan ng Alternative Learning System (ALS).

“On the part of DepEd, we believe once you get quality education, no matter the circumstance, eventually, you’re able to contribute to your community and to nation-building. So, we reach out to those in prisons, drug rehabilitation centers, or juvenile delinquency centers,” ayon kay DepEd Assistant Secretary at Alternative Learning System (ALS) Program Task Force head G.H. Ambat sa isang panayam sa Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Upang maisakatuparan ang proyekto nakipagtulungan ang DepEd sa Bureau of Corrections sa pagbibigay ng pag-asa sa mga bilanggo sa pamamagitan ng edukasyon at matulungan silang magkaroon ng panibagong buhay.

“Even in the maximum security, no one will stay there forever because 40 years is maximum years of imprisonment and it could be cut short according to the good conduct allowance. So, they study as they prepare to go out,” dagdag pa nito.

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Upang maiwasan ang diskriminasyon, ayon kay Ambat, hindi ilalagay ang pangalan ng kulungan at ng rehabilitation facility kung saan sila nagtapos ng basic education.

“For example, the Perpetual Help System has an extension program inside the Bureau of Corrections, and the learners’ diplomas and even their transcripts won’t say Camp Sampaguita Maximum Security, rather it will include the name of the school or university, and so they’re not deprived of chance,” pahayag ni Ambat.

Hinimok din ni Ambat ang mga bilanggo na huwag palagpasin ang pagkakataon dahil ang ALS ay “free and life-changing”.

“Hindi masasayang ang oras nila sa loob, ang iba nagiging teacher sa loob kapag natapos na nila ang pag-aaral,” ani Ambat.

Para sa school year na 2018-2019, nakapagturo ang ALS ng DepEd ng 843,000 bilanggo, ayon kay Ambat.

“There were those who took Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) test, there were about 240,000 passers both in elementary and high school and those who finished high school can go straight to college,” aniya.

Dagdag pa nito, “Among the inmates, there were 139 A&E passers, 43 passed the A&E Elementary Test, while 96 passed the A&E Junior High School Test, with a passing rate of 91.48% and 98.96% respectively.”

At upang masiguradong ang mga ALS learner ay handa ng isabak sa trabaho, aniya, sinimulan na ang pagpapahusay sa kurikulum ng ALS.

“We teach life skills for community engagement and work readiness before we teach them basic education. We work on the attitude first,” pahayag ni nito.

Pinag-aaralan ngayon ng DepEd ang pagbibigay sa mga ALS learners ng national certification para sa kasanayang natutunan nila.

Para kay Ambat, “This is because the demands of the times are now different because of the industrial revolution. Apart from basic literacy, they need to have advanced computer skills, analytical thinking, soft skills and, technical skills.”