In response to declining division-wide passing rates, De La Salle University – Dasmariñas (DLSU-D), through the College of Education (COEd), is discontinuing its Elementary Alternative Learning System (ALS) track under its Balik-Aral Program beginning next academic year (AY) to shift its institutional focus to the Junior High School (JHS) curriculum.

According to Balik-Aral Program Supervisor and COEd faculty member Geamph Hate, the decision to slash the elementary track was accelerated by a severe academic crisis in the City of Dasmariñas, where the Department of Education (DepEd) City Schools Division of Dasmarinas recently recorded a 40 percent passing rate in the national Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Test—drastically missing the city’s annual target of 80 percent.

The national A&E Test evaluates the standard competencies of ALS learners, and passing the exam grants them a certification equivalent to an elementary or JHS diploma. 

Moreover, DepEd informed the University that its specialized elementary visiting teacher could no longer be deployed to campus, further reinforcing the decision. The structural changes come as DLSU-D prepares to finalize its standard Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) renewal with DepEd.

“We will work out on that, not because it is required by DepEd, siguro din because we know La Salle provides quality education,” Hate said.

Despite the curriculum cuts, University coordinators emphasized that DLSU-D’s Balik-Aral Program maintains a distinct edge over standard alternative learning centers. Unlike most public ALS programs that operate out of barangay halls with a single instructor teaching every module, Balik-Aral learners enjoy full access to the University’s resources.

“Whatever facilities [are] used by the regular students—classroom, library, […] computer laboratory, science laboratories—are utilized by our learners, which is not happening in ordinary ALS learners,” Hate noted.

Moving forward, DepEd’s primary recommendation is the designation of a dedicated ALS resource room where learners can freely study and access learning materials outside class hours.

Setup and funding realities

While DLSU-D provides physical facilities and institutional support to ALS students, the University does not allocate a dedicated budget for the program, and all instructors who teach in Balik-Aral also serve on a voluntary basis without additional wages or overtime pay.

Despite these funding realities, COEd Dean Dr. Jose Arvin Gacelo explained that the program capitalizes on its university setup by deploying subject-specialist faculty volunteers, unlike many public ALS centers where a single teacher typically covers multiple subjects.

Gacelo added that Lasallian students—especially those under the COEd—are also involved in the program as it serves as a “bridge” for aspiring educators by allowing them to assist  in developing learning materials and teach under supervision. 

K-12 pathway and institutional support

Hate clarified that Balik-Aral learners remain technically registered under DepEd, meaning their official completion certificates are issued by the government.

Conversely, the University’s ALS Senior High School (SHS) students are recognized as regular Lasallians, whose documentation is fully processed directly by DLSU-D.

After completing their ALS-SHS requirements, graduates become eligible to apply for regular DLSU-D undergraduate degree programs or the institutional Night College, which offers tertiary degrees separately from the basic education track. 

According to Gacelo, the long-term vision of Balik-Aral remains focused on enabling adult learners to bridge the gap from basic literacy to formal undergraduate degrees and secure a more stable livelihood.

“We go back to school in order to develop ourselves. And that is something that we should not be afraid of. Regardless kung mayro’n tayong formal degree or formal title, going back to school is something that we do… in order to develop ourselves,” Gacelo concluded.

Originally published in Heraldo Filipino Volume 40, Issue 2