San Roque National High School

ALS Program falls under the category of parallel education that is organized by DepEd for out-of-school youth and adults who have no access to traditional schooling. The program is intended to provide flexible learning opportunities at the community level aimed at helping individuals receive basic education and continue studying as per their own timetable.

The Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001 (Republic Act 9155) established the ALS to reduce the number of out-of-school youths and provide free education to those who would otherwise not be able to afford it. The need for ALS can be illustrated by real figures: according to the 2017 Philippine Statistics Authority, approximately 9 percent, or 3.53 million people, aged between 6 and 24 years in the Philippines were out-of-school youths among 39.2 million people. The ALS was strengthened by Republic Act No. 11510, the Alternative Learning System Act, signed by President Duterte on December 23, 2020, which aims to ensure that out-of-school children in special circumstances, such as from indigenous communities and other adults, have access to quality education in a timely manner. It also created the Bureau of Alternative Education (BAE), which is responsible for ALS programs and ensures government support for ALS in terms of staff education, funding, and creation of learning centers.