One issue that has plagued the Department of Education (DepEd) for years has been the (lack of) quality of textbooks and other instructional materials being distributed in public schools across the country.
This, along with other issues and concerns, were among those discussed during the latest “Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas” forum of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in Cainta, Rizal last October 15, which was attended by officials from DepEd’s Calabarzon office.
Responding to a query from OpinYon Laguna, DepEd Calabarzon Assistant Regional Director Loida Nidea said the agency has adopted a "Quality Assurance" mechanism to ensure the accuracy of the content of the textbooks and other instructional materials being distributed in public schools.
"As much as possible, we will not print materials kung marami ang errors. But there are instances that there could be some minor errors na hindi natin maiiwasan,” Nidea explained.
The DepEd official added that in such cases, the agency takes steps to ensure that the errors are rectified even before the materials reach the schools.
Meanwhile, DepEd Calabarzon Regional Director Atty. Alberto Escobarte noted that the current reviews and revisions of the curriculum being used in public schools also meant that some textbooks need to be revised.
“Yung mga textbook na ginagamit noon prior to revision, parang hindi na masyadong magagamit. Kaya nag-come up kami ng ‘most essential learning competencies’ na extracted from previous textbooks, para iyon ang ibibigay sa mga bata na relevant sa new curriculum,” Escobarte said, adding that DepEd has released learning module materials to supplement these textbooks.
Other issues raised by local media during the forum include benefits for teachers and non-teaching staff; the recent lapse into law of Republic Act No. 12027, which discontinued the use of the “mother tongue” as a medium of instruction; the School Building Program and Comprehensive Education Facilities Monitoring; Learner Rights and Protection Program; and the Teacher Welfare and Workload Rationalization.
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