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1. The Bureau of Nonformal Education (BNFE) is mandated to set national standards and a national policy framework for the implementation of nonformal education programs of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports. Pursuant to his mandate, the following policy clarifications/revisions are hereby issued:

1.1 he target learners of the DECS Nonformal Education programs are Filipinos 15 years old and above who are:

- Out-of School-Youth (OSY) and Adults
- Functional Illiterates
- Unemployed OSY and adults
- Industry -based workers
- Differently-abled
- Members of cultural communities

1.2 A new national definition of functional literacy has recently been developed by the Literacy Coordinating Council, necessitating a revision of the definitions and competency parameters of the old UNESCO literacy levels. Under this new national definition functional literacy is defined as:

"A range of skills and competencies — cognitive, affective and behavioral — which enable individuals to:

- live and work as human persons
- develop their potential
- make critical and informed decisions
- function effectively in society within the context of their environment and that of the wider community (local, regional, national, global) in order to improve the quality of their life and that of society."

A set of major indicators of functional literacy accompany this expanded definition of functional literacy, detailing the range of competencies an adult Filipino citizen will need to possess to function effectively in Filipino society as it enters the 21st century (see Inclosure 1 for a copy of these Major Indicators of Functional Literacy)

1.3 To date, the DECS-NFE has been making use of the generic UNESCO levels of literacy in the absence of any literacy levels or literacy competency profiles specific to the context of the Philippines. The Bureau of Nonformal Education (BNFE) has developed new competency profiles for three levels of literacy built around the new definition of functional literacy which can be broadly described as:

1. Basic Literacy Level — illiterate level for those who have no literacy skills and first step to basic/simple literacy towards functional literacy.
   
   
2. Elementary Level — semi-literate level for the reinforcement of basic reading, writing, and numeracy skills to a self-sustaining (neo-literate level)
   
   
3. Secondary Level — adequately functionally literate or self-learning level for continuing education.

2. As part of the Nonformal Education Accreditation and Equivalency component of the ADB-assisted Philippines Nonformal Education Project, the essential competencies of each of these three levels of literacy have been defined and formulated into a Nonformal Education Accreditation and Equivalency (NFE A&E) Curriculum Framework. The learning competencies of three literacy levels which are specified in the NFE A&E Curriculum Framework shall henceforth be used for all literacy programs of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (see Inclosure No. 2 for details regarding competencies of the NFE A & E Curriculum Framework). The BNFE will provide all Regional and Division Offices with copies of the NFE A & E Curriculum Framework.
   
   
3. Nonformal education differs from formal education in terms of its target learners, learning strategies, delivery mechanisms and philosophical frame of reference. These differences are reflected in the terminologies and concepts used by both educational systems. In order to clarify these differences DECS Nonformal Education implementors are referred to the following list of contrasting terminologies between formal and nonformal education:

FORMAL	NONFORMAL
Pedagogy	Andragogy
Academic Focus	Functional Focus
School	Learning Center
Pupil/Student	Learner
Teacher	Instructional Manager/Facilitator
Class	Learning Group/Session
Subject	Learning Strand
Grade/Year Level	Levels of Literacy
Textbooks	Learning Materials/Modules
Lesson Plan	Session Guide
Graduate	Completer
Diploma	Certificate
Teacher's Manual	Facilitator's Guide

DECS officials and NFE implementors are required to use the appropriate terminology to describe nonformal education activities to ensure consistency with the andragogical, learner-centered and flexible learning approach of the New Nonformal Education.

4. In order to ensure consistency of spelling and terminology usage in documents of the DECS, the term nonformal should be single word and unhyphenated, i.e. nonformal not no-formal nor non formal.
   
   
5. Inclosed are the Major Indicators of Functional Literacy and Other Information About the NFE A & E Curriculum Framework.
   
   
6. Immediate and wide dissemination of this Order is desired.

Adopted: 16 March 1999

(SGD.) ANDREW GONZALEZ, FSC
Secretary

MAJOR INDICATORS OF FUNCTIONAL LITERACY
Communication Skills

- ability to clearly express one's ideas and feelings orally and nonverbally

- ability to listen

- ability to read, comprehend and respond to ideas presented

- ability to write and clearly express one's ideas and feelings

- ability to access, process and utilize available basic and multi-media information

PROBLEM SOLVING AND CRITICAL THINKING

- numeracy skills

- to be open to change

- ability to make critical and informed decisions

- innovativeness and creativity

- scientific thinking

- future orientation

SUSTAINABLE USE OF RESOURCES/PRODUCTIVITY

- ability to earn a living

- sustainable use of resources (including time) and appropriate technology

- entrepreneurship

- productivity

DEVELOPMENT OF SELF AND A SENSE OF COMMUNITY

- self-development

- self-awareness
- self-discipline
- sense of responsibility
- self-worth
- self-realization
- may paninindigan
- pagbabagong-loob

- pakikipagkapwa

- pakikilahok
- pakiki-isa/kapatiran

- a sense of personal and national identity

- makatao
- makabayan
- makakalikasan
- maka-Diyos

- knowledge of one's history, pride in one's culture and respect for those of others

- recognition and practice of civil and political rights

EXPANDING ONE'S WORLD VISION

- knowledge, acceptance, respect and appreciation of diversity

- peace

- nonviolent resolution of conflicts

- global awareness, interdependence and solidarity

Other Information About the NFE A&E Curriculum Framework
For the purpose of the NFE A&E Curriculum Framework the major indicators of the new national definition of functional literacy developed by the Literacy Coordinating Council (LCC), have been formulated into five interrelated learning strands:

1. Communication Skills (including listening, speaking, reading and writing from print and electronic media)
   
   
2. Problem Solving and Critical Thinking (including numeracy, and scientific thinking)
   
   
3. Sustainable Use of Resources/Productivity (including ability to earn a living as an employed or self-employed person, sustainable resources, and productivity)
   
   
4. Development of Self and a Sense of Community (including self-development, a sense of personal and national history and identity, cultural pride, and recognition and understanding of civil and political rights).
   
   
5. Expanding One's World Vision (including knowledge, respect and appreciation for diversity, peace and nonviolent resolution of conflicts, and global awareness and solidarity)

Each learning strand starts with an overall conceptual framework and a schematic diagram which describes the relationship of the parts to the whole strand. Each strand contains terminal learning objectives, which in some cases are also broken into sub-terminal learning objectives, and which are then followed by enabling objectives. The terminal objectives specify the broad functional learning outcomes to be covered in each learning strand. These broad terminal objectives are broken down into enabling (and sub-enabling) objectives which detail the specific skills, knowledge, attitudes and values (KAVS) which must be mastered in order to be able to accomplish the stated terminal objectives in each learning strand. Next to the objectives (also known as competencies) are three columns indicating the level(s) for each. There are three levels: Basic Literacy, Elementary, and Secondary. Mastery of the competencies at the basic literacy and elementary levels are needed if a learner chooses to obtain an Elementary Level certificate by taking the Elementary Level Test of the NFE A & E System. Secondary education level competencies must be mastered and certified through successful completion of the NFE A & E Secondary Level Test, to obtain the Secondary Level certificate.

In addition to supporting the certification process of the NFE A&E System, the learning materials aim to help learners progress along a continuum of learning from basic literacy, to functional literacy and ultimately to a self-learning level. The level of required learning support in the form of facilitator-aided instruction decreases as learners develop and strengthen their literacy skills and progress along this learning continuum. The learning materials used at the different levels along this continuum reflect this shift towards increasing learner involvement in the instruction process.

At the Basic Literacy Level, learners are heavily dependent on literacy facilitators for literacy skill development and undertake their learning primarily through face-to-face classroom instruction using literacy primers and other stimuli such as posters, flash cards, pictures, etc. The Elementary Level is a transition level where learners are encouraged to begin to "learn how to learn" so they can increasingly study and learn by themselves at their own-pace. At the Lower/Beginning Elementary Level learning materials will still need to be designed for face-to-face contact sessions. The Learning materials at the Advanced Elementary Level, however, should begin to bridge the transition from facilitator-aided instruction to a self-learning level. At the Secondary Level, learning support may still be required for some technical areas, however, it will be gradually reduced until learners are able to learn effectively by themselves. The learning materials at the Secondary Level are thus all self-instructional. This shifting balance between facilitator-aided instruction and self-learning across the three Levels of the A&E System is illustrated in the following diagram:

Balance of Facilitator-Aided Instruction and Self-Learning at the Three Levels of the NFE A & E System
 

Facilitator-Aided
		Self-Learning
Basic Literacy	Elementary Level	Secondary Level