DepEd adds 5th layer vs errors in textbook screening process

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) will add yet another layer in its textbook evaluation process as it claims to embark on a move to shape up in the battle it is waging and so far losing against error-riddled textbooks procured by the department for use of public school children.

Lawyer Alberto Muyot, newly-assumed Education Undersecretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs, said that the DepEd’s Instructional Materials Council Secretariat (IMCS), will be adopting a five-level or “area” textbook screening process to select manuscripts of textbooks that will be procured for use in public schools.

Muyot bared that they have tapped crusading educator Antonio Calipjo-Go, the academic supervisor of the Marian School in Sauyo, Novaliches, Quezon City, who had blown the whistle on countless error-riddled textbooks being used in public as well as private schools, as a resource person in an “orientation-seminar” the DepEd-IMCS has organized this week for textbook publishers vying for DepEd textbook contracts.

Socorro Pilor, IMCS director, said that Go lectured publishers and authors on avoiding errors and undertaking research for quality textbook content.

It was learned that the five-area review process will top “professional associations” in its first and second levels for screening.

Muyot, designated as DepEd’s official spokesperson, said that Area 1 of the process will involve the review of coverage and sufficiency in the development of learning competencies by teams of “master teachers”, “subject area experts”, curriculum specialists and representatives of professional associations from both public and private sectors.

Area 2 of the evaluation process will screen manuscripts of conceptual, factual, pedagogical, grammatical, and other types of errors by teams of content experts from various reputable colleges, universities, and professional organizations.  

Area 3 of the process will involve teams of master teachers from various regions reviewing the presentation, language, and visuals if appropriate for the target audience.

Area 4 will involve teams of language experts ensuring  that the contents are grammatically correct and can be easily understood by target users.

Area 5 will be the final review of the textbook that met DepEd standards being ranked first by an educational institution recommended by the Bureaus of Elementary and Secondary Education to be an expert in a specific learning area.