Young Muslims get alternative education in war-torn region

Manila: Young Muslims are no longer holding guns because they are getting alternative education in the southern Philippines.

After their families were displaced by an age-old civil war between government soldiers and separatist rebels in Mindanao, the students are now being cited for their hunger for knowledge, a local paper said.

One of them, Gina Sapal, 16, was cited by the Notre Dame of Marbel University as one of the "best learners" of Paglat, the Inquirer said.

In 2002, government soldiers waged a year-long offensive against the fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, for the control of the Liguasan Marsh in Maguindanao. Sapal was then a second year high school student at Campo High School in Paglat town.

After her family returned to their community after a year, she had to work to augment her family's income of 49 pesos (Dh3) a day.

But in 2004, she went to school and took advantage of the alternative learning system (ALS) of the Champagnat Community College (CCC), which was established by Notre Dame in Paglat town.

She was one of 402 school youths from Paglat who became CCC's scholars last year.

Paglat was one of the towns that was severely affected by the military offensive in 2002. Now, its population of 15,000 includes young people who have been out of school for several years.

Notre Dame's alternative learning system, found effective in war-torn areas, was inspired by St. Marcellin Champagnat, a French national who founded the Marist Brothers, said Agnes Reyes, CCC executive director.

Very few students go to school in Paglat because of poverty, the distance of public schools from residential areas, and the absence of peace and order in the south, Reyes, added.

When CCC's alternative education was established, the school met a lot of difficulties because many of Paglat's village leaders were found to be illiterate, said Reyes.

Of the 402 scholars of the CCC, 16 per cent reached first or second year high, 26 per cent were third or fourth year high school, and 56 per cent were dropouts.

But their levels of competence are varied. Only 13 per cent have secondary level of educational competence, 24 per cent have advance elementary level of knowledge, and a majority of 35 per cent have lower elementary level of knowledge.