Exploring the lived experiences of the persons deprived of liberty enrolled in alternative learning system

Abstract

The Philippines government adheres to a system of Education for all (EFA). Thus, it created the alternative learning system (ALS) as an alternative system of education to reach out Filipinos who were unable to complete the prescribed basic education cycle for various reasons. This study explored the lived experiences of the persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) as enrollees of the ALS behind bars program. It utilized the trancendental phenomenology as its design and employed eight purposively chosen participants through inclusion criterion. Data was gathered through focus group discussion and analyzed using Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen framework. Three themes emerged following the statement of problem: lived experiences of the PDLs as enrollees of the ALS Behind Bars program, meaning of the PDLs’ attendance to the program, and their recommendations to further improve the delivery of the existing and prospective ALS programs intended for the PDLs. Taking things holistically, the current program is positively perceived by the PDLs. Thus, the need for the government to sustain the program to ensure the holistic transformation of the PDLs enrolled in the program through this alternative learning delivery, which, in turn, is direly needed as they eventually join the mainstream society.