Alternative Learning Systems and EFA

SEAMEO Innotech is hosting a delegation of senior education officials from Haiti who are here on a study trip about “non-formal education” in the Philippines. They invited me to talk about the work of the Education for Life Foundation and the Education Network this afternoon

As I got out of my taxi, Carol Guerrero of the Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS) was getting into her car. “Did you give your standard briefing on ALS this morning?”I asked her. She did. I was glad she spoke ahead of me. At least I did not need to talk about the government’s ALS program.

Ethel Valenzuela of Innotech briefed me that the Haitian government officials wanted to meet NGOs, since they do not have much experience working with NGOs in Haiti. I adjusted my talk and devoted a bit more time to explaining the work of NGOs in popular education, ALS, and EFA.

The one hour and a half session was too short for a more extended exchange of ideas. I would have wanted to know what’s happening in Haiti now. They had their own difficult years of repressive rule under the Duvaliers, and I was also curious about how they judge the presidency of the priest-activist Aristides, who raised hopes for social justice and democracy in Haiti for a while, until he was ousted.

I discussed the challenges NGOs faced after EDSA, especially how to handle the two poles of resistance and participation, using the figures of Freire and Grundtvig to symbolize these options. I felt that the points I made resonated with their situation, but also qualified my presentation with the quote from El Salvador: “Learn from others. Think for ourselves.”

I also told them about teasing fellow NGO workers, and asking if we are really NGOs – “non-government organizations.” Or should we be rather called AGOs – “anti-government organizations,” because our basic stance toward government is a carry over from our involvement in the anti-dictatorship resistance.

I added that there are other kinds of AGOs – “antay government organizations.” The play on words took a bit of explaining, but they eventually smiled in recognition.

The group included the number two official in their Ministry of Education, and he agreed that EFA or Education for All can not be achieved only through the formal school system, nor only by government. Any reasonable chance of reaching the goals of EFA by 2015 will need both formal and “non-formal” systems (alternative learning systems), and involve both government and non-government organizations.

The need to “walk on two legs” toward EFA is evident from the figures for in school and out of school children and youth in the Philippines. There are over 20 million children and youth in the primary and secondary schools. There are 11.5 million out of school children and youth, and this number will continue increasing as only 45 out of every 100 children who enter Grade Once manage to finish 4th year high school.

Since I sit as co-chair of the National EFA Committee, representing E-net, I shared some of the discussions we have had about the involvement of government.

EFA is not the sole responsibility of the Department of Education. The LGUs have a major role to play, and Synergeia has documented the good practices of mayors and governors who exercise their leadership in the local school boards (LSB) and make good use of their Special Education Fund (SEF). Other national government agencies with extension and training services don’t realize that are contributing to EFA; their work needs to be recognized, but also be subjected to quality control.

We easily agreed on the need for NGOs, especially for ALS. But toward the end of the session, I shared with them my pet advocacy, for developing grassroots community leaders and selecting from the pool of grassroots leaders those whom we can train as grassroots community educators.

Their program includes a visit to the Aeta community in Botolan, Zambales. I hope that they will meet the Aeta leaders and educators who have graduated from ELF’s training programs, and have organized PBAZ – Paaralang Bayan ng mga Ayta sa Zambales.

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