MOBILE TEACHERS OF 

ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM OF

 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Mobile teacher is the one who teach out of school youth, adults who did not finished studies in formal, nor began education at his/her early age.  A mobile teacher made his/her mapping to different barangays to know her/his possible learners.  She/He  communicate to Barangay officials for the possible learners. After mapping, he/she will conduct orientation and from that orientation, she /he will encourage or motivate his/her possible learners.

After orientation , from then, she/he will conduct sessions to all OSYs and Adults , including those who are physically disabled, who want to pursue their education. A lot of stories of success in ALS had. Lot of lives changed. Even in jail, mobile teachers reach out those detainee who want to use their time usefully during their stay at jail. Hoping that after jail, they can start a new life and pursue their dreams .

I’ve been to Provincial jail and had a chance to get inside and observe the detainees routine. There are some busy in doing crafts, others waiting for their love ones to visit them, and the others went to their sessions on their Volunteer teacher for Alternative Learning System.

I witnessed the eagerness of the learners to pass the A & E Test , hoping that as they receive their diploma after ten months of attending sessions, they will land a better opportunities. Some might pursue their college studies, some will try their future abroad, some plans to apply for jobs which asked diploma for better salary.

After ten months of waiting, graduation comes. Time to received the most awaited diploma, a piece of paper that can lead someone to a new chapter of better life. As a friend told me sometime ago, be careful of those piece of paper, because nobody knows what that piece of paper will lead you into. And I think it is very true, a paper now, document later.

I was amazed of this newly graduate servant of God from the heart of the mountainous Nagtipunan, Quirino . He is Ptr. Benson Aliwak who gave his touching message to everyone who attended  graduation ceremony of batch 2015. He said that he walked two days from his place to attend his class/sessions in ALS CLC, far from his place. Whoaaa.. two days walk to attend his class and another two days to go home. He is with the other two relatives who were also ALS students. Hearing their patience to attend their classes and being away from home for a month, it was a great sacrifice indeed. They have to stay a month and finish their modules for that month and went home for a week and walked again for their classes. This great man used his days in family, serving God and attending ALS sessions. For he was inspired by his nephew who was ALS graduate also and now taking Business Administration at Quirino Province. According to him, age and distance  doesn’t matter if you really ant change in your life.

Being an ALS Mobile Teacher is not easy. In formal school, teachers have their school building, a room allotted to each teacher where their students wait for them. In Alternative Learning System,  the teacher went to their houses or by the permission of Barangay officials, he/she use the Barangay hall for the meantime. I witnessed also a mobile teacher who is almost bitten by dog because of conducting classes and visitation to his/her learners residence. Most of the time, after giving information, teaching the lessons, this mobile teacher needs to nanny his/her learners children for them to be able to work on his /her given activity. Sometimes she/he have to sleep in the community because the place is too far. But because of the program of the DEPED to bring education in more accessible way, ALS mobile teachers reach coastal areas to conduct classes.