Textbook error prompts another review

The Department of Education on Tuesday said that they will review all textbooks and learning materials being used by public school students across the country.

The review was prompted by one textbook that dubbed the Banaue rice terraces as “Banana” Rice Terraces.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones said such error was one that had been spotted and a dishonor to the Banaue Rice Terraces considered the 8th wonder of the world.

“There is an ongoing curriculum review in both the senior and junior curriculum. The review is mandatory and we do not have to wait for the press or the public to point out the mistakes,” Briones said.

Some of the errors spotted in school textbooks include a reference to the “Banana Rice Tereces” instead of Banaue Rice Terraces while another identified the island of Samar as “Cebu.”

In the same breath, Briones has asked Congress to amend legislation that would allow them to write the textbooks for the schools, instead of private companies.

Secretary Briones also said they have discussed with the Commission on Audit (CoA) on the P25 million worth of damaged textbooks due to insufficient warehousing facilities.

She clarified that such textbooks have not yet been paid and that the agency is still assessing whether or not to pay for these given that the materials are severely damaged.

“The DepEd Office of the Secretary will be validating the facts from the reports of both the Commission on Audit and the Bureau of Learning Resources. A review of the legal implications is also set. The Department continues to coordinate with the CoA on developments and remains steadfast to its commitment to uphold transparency and accountability in all its transactions and in the responsible delivery of basic education resources and services,” a statement from the agency said.

The CoA earlier flagged DepEd for alleged poor planning that resulted in the damage of P25.21 million worth of textbooks.

In its 2017 report released over the weekend, the CoA found that 820,682 printed textbooks were left inside printing press Lexicon Press Inc. because DepEd’s own warehouse failed to store them.

The unavailability of storage facilities was due to warehouse refurbishing of the DepEd’s Bureau of Learning Resources, CoA said.

“DepEd suffered loss amounting to P25,213,511.10 representing the cost of 820,682 damaged Grade 2 Learning Materials at the contractor’s warehouse due to insufficient warehousing facilities to house the deliveries and lack of prudence on the part of DepEd to ensure the safety of the learning materials,” the report said.