Author

Shiela Ann S. Sacyafen*
Saint Louis College of Bulanao, Tabuk City, Kalinga, Philippines

Abstract

This study investigated the educational goals of out-of-school youth (OSY) in Bekigan, Sadanga, Mountain Province, and sought to develop a re-integration program to facilitate their return to teaching. A mixed-methods research design was utilized, 2 participant groups: 15 out-of-school youth (OSY) aged 15–24 years who contributed both quantitative and qualitative data via a researcher-developed checklist and survey questionnaire, and key informants, including teachers, parents, and leaders, who offered qualitative visions through interviews and open-ended questions. To find out who the respondents were and what their educational goals were, we looked at the quantitative data using frequency, percentage, and weighted mean. We looked at the qualitative data using thematic analysis to find patterns, problems, and barriers that kept people from participating in school. The results showed that most of the OSY were male, single, between the ages of 20 and 22, and had not finished junior high school. Most of them didn’t have jobs, and their families usually had modest to middle-class monthly incomes. The study also found that there are many obstacles to education, such as personal issues like losing interest and low self-esteem, family issues like not having enough money or support, socio-economic issues like not being able to find a job or being poor, and school and community issues like not being able to get to school or not knowing about other ways to learn. These obstacles had a big effect on how motivated they were to keep learning and how they thought about it. The study presented the BALIK-ARAL Program, a community-based re-integration project meant to provide educational support, mentoring, and flexible learning options customized to the needs of OSY. The program stresses that teachers, parents, and community leaders should work together to remove both personal and structural impediments to education. The study emphasizes the necessity of comprehending OSY profiles, educational aspirations, and perceived barriers in formulating targeted interventions that elevate participation, motivation, and educational achievement, consequently fostering enhanced social and economic outcomes for individuals and the community.

Keywords: Out-of-school youth, educational aspirations, re-integration program, Alternative Learning System, socio-economic factors, motivation, Philippines.

*Corresponding author/ Email: sheisiblagan@yahoo.com
DOI: http://doi.org/10.69651/PIJHSS05021030

Recommended citation:
Sacyafen, S. A. S. (2026). Educational aspirations of out-of-school youth: Basis for a proposed re-integration program. Pantao (The International Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences) 5 (2), 2099-2119. http://doi.org/10.69651/PIJHSS05021030

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