HOLY ANGEL UNIVERSITY

School of Education
Graduate School

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ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION:
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES RELEVANT TO THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
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In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements of the Course
MANAGEMENT OF ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS IN EDUCATION (DEMAPE)
1st Module 2nd Trimester 2019-2020

By
EDITHA F. DE GUZMAN

Submitted to
IMELDA P. MACASPAC, Ph.D.
December 14, 2019
 ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION:
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES RELEVANT TO THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION

Introduction

Alternative Education is an initiative considered by almost all nations concerning the

education which one country is doing to serve the at-risk learners, whether young or adults

whose needs are not met in the traditional classroom setting. This system includes largely but

not limited to school dropped-outs who are indigent and medically uncappable, but also to the

oriented elites who could not be able to go to regular schools.

Different countries have different interpretation and characterisitcs of alternative

education based on their culture, economy, and geographical needs. According to its needs,

countries particularly in the Asia-Pacific Region where this paper focused its comparative

analysis, dealt alternative education with the curriculum and programs, philosophy, and

mechanism involved in practice and theory.

Alternative education has been considered to include in the education system due to

many reasons. Aside from the problems currently experiencing by all schools nowadays, such as

the high level of school children drop out, truancy, behavioral problems and violence in the

classrooms, complaints from parents and employers are high, that teaching from schools is not

anymore relevant to the preparation of people to live in fast changing world. These reasons push

most of the families to seek for more suited system that could be used practically to survive and

compete.

Alternative education as well as alternative programs differ in theories and practices,

depending on the needs of one country. To name the few, alternative school for child-centered
classroom differ on its offering for problem children, special education for the gifted, school for

the handicapped or for the mentally challenged ones. And despite this diversity, its main

purpose in general is characterized by providing learning that suits to a certain group whether by

using individualized teaching or uniformity approach serving the public or private citizens.

Another distinctive characteristics of alternative education pointed out on the number of learners

such as their small size, ethos, selectivity as to the interests of the students, vision of parents,

teaching methods, relevance of curricula and progrsms, particiation and the like. (Barr and

Parrett 1997)

Different alternative approaches can be used to see the effectiveness of alternative

education based on its objectives of who will be the receipients of that system. All these

approaches can contribute to make an entusiastic learning. More approaches provide the

educators and innovators different choices and opportunities for our learners.

As it says by John Taylor Gatto, “Whatever an educationis, it should make you a unique

individual, not a conformist; it should furnish you with an original spirit with which to tackle the

big challenges; it should allowyou to find values which will be your road map through life; it

should make you spiritually rich, a person who loves whatever you are doing, wherever you are,

whomever you are with; it should teach you what is important; how to live and how to die.”

The use of alternative system of education must serve a program for students young and

adults in an environment that eliminates barriers for learning for anybody who is affected by a

conformed classroom set-up.

 ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION IN ASIA-PACIFIC REGION

Education in Bolivia

System: A combination of traditional and innovative education interwoven according to its

unique principles

Purpose: To put up alternative schools for indigineous people of the different tribes living

mostly in mountains and forests who have different cultures and statutes

Concerns: Issues in society that have not adequately built up the subsistence infrastructure that

is required to develop alternative education

Educational Reform: Decentralized education system, giving the local government to

dicretionary power over budget and administration.

 Proclamation of autonomous effort by regional organizations of indigineous people

 Establishment of schools by the district level

Alternative School: Establishment of La Floreta School in 1996

Social Principles:

 Directed to children of all social classes regardless of whether they are wealthy or

poor

 Total tolerance of religions, cultures, customs, and beliefs

 Social learning and practice at one-week camps (twice annually)

Educational Principles:

 Study how to learn

 Non-directive learning
  Prepared learning environment

 Rather than classes or school years, auytonomous learning within one’s level

 Using Montessori and Freinet educational methods in the kindergarten and primary

school

 Place emphasis on the appropriate rhythms of learning

 Place emphasis on the real needs of the children

 Autonomous learning incudinf individual research topics in the higher secondary

level

 Holistic learning

 Learning analysis rather than accumulation of information

 Incorporate self- evaluation and mutual evaluation by peers

 Ecological awareness

 Practice of Democratic principles such as self-organization and assemblies

 Put into effect a Productive Month when students build up experience of the world

outside the school

Building Construction: School on top of a Hill

Composed of five buildings with distinctive shapeand space differ in concept, using the

traditional architectural methods and local materials, showing the ancient habitats of the tribes of

Bolivia

Curriculum: Structured Individualized Curriculum, giving values on experiential learning

The school puts emphasis on having all the children come into direct5 contact with a

variety of different worlds. It values individuality, and the same time values sociality, thus

producing social learning through the incorporation of Montessori and Freinet education
systems. School does not have classes or grades but uses the concept of levels instead as defined

age groups. Majority of learners are adults of Quechua tribe and few children from Aymara tribe.

Education in Thailand

System: Pluralistic Educational System

Pluralism is a combinations of many educational concepts and not to become excessively

attached to any one concept. Education belongs to the society, considering not only the

individual good but the common good.

Purpose: To put up a system that will encourage people to put up their own various ideas and

philosopihies in to practice.

Concerns: Economic Growth of Thailand that led to social problems resulting to the breakdown

of the former rural society and the influx of of the population in the urban areas with an

accompanying spread of slums that turned into structural violence

 Child abuse

 Education deprivation for the poor children

 Child labor

 Child Prostitution and Aids

Alternative School: Establishment of Children’s Village School

The school became the house for the less fortunate, abused, and orphaned children. Most

of the children who studied in this school are the orphans, child labor in factories, children whose

parents had contracted AIDS or who had themselves contracted AIDS.

Philosophy: Child-centered philosophy based from the Summerhill School in England and a

belief influenced from Buddhism

Children lived in school using the “family” unit with teachers as the surrogate parents.

They were givewn time to be healed emotionally, physically and spiritually.

Principles:

 Foster love and affection based from thephilosophical background of Buddhism

 Importance on healthy environment (kalayanamitta) and positive environment

(paratokhosa)

 Emphasis on Self-governance (in the communal life of Summerhill School)

Educational Policy and Alternative Education:

The creation of the legal system in the foundation of the alternative education started

when the National Education Act in 1999 was promulgated. Under this Act, the education in

Thailand became centralized and the term alternative education was avoided, and the school

education, non-formal education and informal education were designated instead as the three

types of education covered by the Act. Alternative education was then, fall under the Articles 12

and 15 of the said Act.

Education in Australia

System: Decentralized System of Education

Australia is a federal nation with different education systems for the the different states.

Each territory and state offers different certificates upon completion of secondary education.
Concerns: Different sytems of educaction cover the different states. There are lots of schools and

universities that are sprouting all over the country. Australia is considered to be one of the best

countries to study.

Purpose: Since Australia is an expensive place to study, the tension between standardization

policies and unique individual alternative schools is obvious.

Alternative School: Alternative education is carried on in the form of unique schools in different

states that operate with financial support from the federal and the state governments.

There are two alternative schools in Australia, in which both of their educational

practices are worth noticeable. One alternative school has a relatively established tradition that

has a relatively well-established tradition like the Waldorf School in South Australia; and the

other alternative school that is newly established which is a free school in Queensland that has

been influenced by the Subbury Valley School in the United States.

Philosophy and Curriculum for Independent Schools

Waldorf or Montessori Schools – systematic curriculum devised on the basis of Steiner’s

anthrosophy

Part of its educational policy is the philosophy of orderliness which can be observed by

assigning the same teacher to stay in aclass of students and oversee their development for seven

years. Another distinctive characteristic of instruction of this alternative school is the foreign

language education. This type of school earned a good reputations at many universities in other

states because of the exemplary result of academic performances of the students. Students are

from both the lower and the middle classes same as the students from public schools
 Sudbury School - Center of Learning: A Family Scale Independent School Engaged in a

Hard Struggle: This is a democratic school embracing the philosophy that dignity and freedom

arethe essential state of all humans. They believed that children are extremely good at and

therefore, do not need to be taught the main behaviors they will need as adults such as creativity,

imagination, alertness, curiosity, thoughfulness, responsibility and judgment.

A certain local Maleny community and out of a diverse group of people comprising

children, their parents, teachers and friends started the Booroobin Sudbury School. They have

established this school to suit their educational needs. The school does not offer any prearranged

classes set by teachers, rather they spend time working on topics that interest them individually,

spend their time as they please. Adults assist them with their learning only when they are asked

to do so. They call this kind of activity Natural Learning.

 8 Life Skills areas based on its unique philosophy of learning

Thinking, creating, participating, taking responsibility, investigating,

communicating, reflecting, and having knowledge of the self

 Basic Principles

Care for others, assure safety, and treat thingswith consideration

Financial Support from the Federal and State Governments:

Since federal and state governments are considered to be responsible for supplementing

the educational expenses of all students, the independent schools as alternative schools receive

subsidy from the government. However, the two alternative schools need to meet the

requirements and provide complete documents, with series of inspection and assessment before

the subsidy be given. Government accredition is needed to be considered recipient of the

government subsidy. A high standard on the curriculum and practices are expected to be present

in the operation of these schools.

Education in Netherlands

System: Freedom of Education (vrijheid van onderwijs)

Purpose: Counteract the law which forbade the existence of private schools, and

which no longer allowed religious education in public school

Concerns: There was a struggle to restore the rights of the private schools to instruct

values education according to their belief system or denomination

Alternative Schools: In Netherlands, alternative school refers to the various small, private

schools and home schools. There are 11 recognized alternative schools in

the country, some of which are:

a. Waldorf Schools

b. Dalton Plan schools

c. Jena Plan

d. Montessori schools

e. Freinet schools

f. Home schooling

Educational Principle

Under the School Law of 1920, which was based on amendments to the Constitution that were

made in 1917, (1) the establishment and administration of schools was to be considered

primarily a matter for the citizenry, and (2) private schools for general education were to be
maintained and managed by public funding according to the same standards as public schools.

These two principles can be summed up as:

1. Spirit of Independence and Autonomy – this carries with it the following educational

freedoms

a. freedom to found schools

b. freedom of school policies

c. freedom of school organization

2. Principle of Financial Equality of both public and private schools – teachers both from

the public and private schools receive the same full government subsidies by the exact

same standards

Curriculum: liberal-oriented pedagogy, adhering to the popular Dalton Plan for

progressive education.

Control Mechanism: How the Government Controls Private Schools

1. Mandatory School Sttendance - education should consist of eight-year basic schools that

a child must attend from the age of four.

2. Curriculum - curriculum should be socially relevant, up to date and educationally

wholesome

- elementary classes ususe the national standard of one hour class as one

unit of instruction. the maximum hour at shcool is 5.5 hours, with children receicing 22-

25 hours of instruction per week

 3. Control Functions - exit examinations and nationwide common examinations are

administered to learners

4. Inspection - in order to uphold quality, all private schools must undergo inspection every

after four years, with short term inspections yearly

5. Duty to Disclose School Information

6. Financial Control Function - teaching staff are paid according to a fixes standard

established by the central government, regardless of whether they teach in public or

private schools

Constraints to the Establishment of Private Schools

When setting up a new school, it is required that the new school attract a certain

minimum number and that there be no other school that adheres to the same educational

approach within the local government jurisdiction. Also, a new primary school in the

Netherlands cannot open unless it gathers at least 200 students (260 students for a secondary

school).

Education in Oregon, United States

System: Pluralistic

Purpose: To offer relevancy which is often lacking in traditional education

Concerns: Why should learners study a particular subject at a particular time?

To provide broad diversity of educational opportunities

Characteristic of Alternative Education in Lane County, Oregon

LEARN

The single greatest distinctive characteristic of the alternative education support mechanisms in

Lane County is that they have formed their own, active organization apart from the above type of
official, established support organizations. The private alternative schools in the county

exchange information, provide each other encouragement, and support each other in the bottom-

up self-help organization called LEARN. The name LEARN is an acronym formed from the

initial letters of Lane Educational Alternatives Resource Network.

One of the outcomes of recent LEARN activity has been the creation of a manual for alternative

education. This manual is written as an introduction to the subject that members of the public can

also understand quite easily, in addition to being a solid practical work on alternative education

practice.

Education in Denmark

System: Pluralistic, Educational system that enhances freedom

Purpose: To uphold the parental right of educational choice

Alternative Schools: Independent schools that are classified as

a. Friskole – free education schools

b. Efterskole – boarding schools

c. Lilleskole – little schools

Educational Principles:

Based on Grundtvig's School for Life, the independent schools in Denmark follow the Principle

of Ideological Freedom: The people have the freedom to establishschools based on any ideology

that they may adhere to.

1. Principle of Pedagogical Freedom: The people have the freedom to establish schools that

teach any educational content by any methodology.

 2. Principle of Economic Freedom: Schools have the freedom to operate with subsidies

from the government.

3. Principle of Freedom of Employment: Schools have boards, and the freedom to decide

the qualifications and skills of employees hired by the schools resides in their boards.

4. Principle of Student Freedom: Students can apply for entry to any school, and schools for

their part have the freedom

Parental Participation:

There are a considerable number of instances of parents actually having gathered together to

realize the creation of their own school. One reason that school creation of this kind at the grass-

roots level can be found nationwide is the existence of support mechanisms provided by the

government. When a private school is founded in Denmark, the municipal authorities must be

informed that a school is to be established that will be attended by children from that locality

Distinctive Characteristics

1. Public Subsidies - independent schools receive subsidies from the government amounting

to approximately 75% of a public school's budget. The remainder is made up largely by

tuition and other such fees paid by parents

2. School Boards and Principals - School boards are ordinarily made up of five or more

members, most of them parents. In addition to parents, the meetings are attended by the

principal and vice principal and by teacher and student representatives. Ordinarily,

however, the principal and teachers do not have a vote.

 3. The relationship between the Ministry of Education and the Independent Schools - there

exists a cooperative relationship between alternative schools and the Ministry of

Education

4. Flexible Organized Movement - the movements are endowed with a creativity that

maintains the basic core of parental rights and freedom while seeking active change in

those things where change is possible.

Conclusion

In this view, as educators and advocates, the challenge takes as to when and how

alternative education be used considering all these characterictics. In most education systems

worldwide, alternative schools are linked with the public education, obviously to give free

education for all. Different alternative education systems are shaped to meet this need to educate

all.

As parents, we need to look for alternative education that will give chance for the

children to learn the unique and positive way other than the conventional style of school. Both

systems have its beauty and dark side, and yet, it depends on us as the direct caretakers of these

young minds to assess and check which one best helps them when in comes to a beneficial

learning.

As educator and reformer, no matter how we looked and understood alternative

education, whether according to its approaches as passive or active; as to its results to produce

public character or public education, alternative education is essential in today’s society. It is the

time rethink and reconstruct our minds in contributing to the welfare of the country’s education
system. Putting together tradition and innovation in teaching can also be considred as a helping

tool to develop our current system. Afterall, we have the same purpose of bringing education to

all.

Bringing education outside school walls and using the community as laboratory for

learning really give an education in a diverge way thus, lessen the problem of having unedacated

citizens. Ergo, alternative education gives emphasis on the holistic viewpoint of giving learning

and producing people that would be able to live to his full potentials, utilizing all his skills, ready

and steady to do and work with all the activities demand from him without inhibition that he can

accomplish them confidently.