Typhoon Drove Away Accreditation and Equivalency Test Takers

LAGAWE, Ifugao, Oct. 17(PIA)-- Only about 56 percent of the total registrants in the elementary and 62 percent in the secondary of the Alternative Learning System or ALS, Accreditation and Equivalency test took he exams here on Sunday, October 16. Supervisor Arsenio Yongoyong, head of ALS here said that this low turnout imay be attributed to the two typhoons that hit the province hard causing massive landslides and power outages in many towns. “Most of the registrants who ome from the towns of Tinoc, Hungduan, and Mayoyao were not able to make it due to the effects of the said climate disturbances,” Yongoyong said. Yongoyong said that in the elementary level, out of the 37 male registrants, 17 took the exams and out of the 17 female registrants 12 took the test. In the secondary level, there were 675 male registrants but only 409 took the examination. Of the 421 female registrants, just 266 took the test. Of the 11 inmates who registered, 10 took the test because one of them was released before the exams. The ALS A&E Test, formerly known as the Nonformal Education A&E Test, is a paper and pencil test designed to measure the competencies of those who have not finished either the formal elementary or secondary education. Passers are given a certificate/diploma, which bears the seal and the signature of the Department Secretary, certifying their competencies as comparable to graduates of the formal school system. Hence, they are qualified to enroll in high school, for elementary level passers, and in college for secondary level passers. The target clienteles of the ALS A&E Test are elementary dropouts (not enrolled in the current school year), who are at least 11 years old on or before the day of the test; high school dropout (not enrolled in the current school year), who are at least 15 years old on or before the day of the test; non-passers of previous ALS A&E Tests; youth and adults although in-school but overaged for Grade 6 (more than 11 years old) or for 4th year (more than 15 years old) and non-passers of previous ALS A&E Test. Others are at least basically literate who may be: unemployed, underemployed OSYs, and adults; industry-based workers, housewives, maids, factory workers, drivers; members of cultural minorities/indigenous peoples (IPs); persons with disabilities (PWDs)/physically challenged; inmates, and rebel or soldier integrees. Sources: Low turnout of test takers attributed to effects of typhoons by Vency D. Bulayungan

Orin Zebest