Textbooks mere reprints

THIS IS in response to Antonio Calipjo Go’s letter asking why the Department of Education is procuring textbooks and teacher’s manuals for printing and delivery from July to September 2011 when classes have already begun.

First, we would like to thank Go for his continuing crusade to upgrade the quality of textbooks in our public schools.

The books being ordered for printing and delivery are reprints and will be used for at least three more years because the Grade 1 textbooks across subject areas will only be replaced starting school year 2013-2014.

This is also in accordance with the textbook policy which provides that publishers give the DepEd reprint rights during the five years of the subject cycle. The books were first delivered in 2008 and considering the growth in student population, the procurement of additional number of textbooks is in order.

Moreover, the DepEd has consulted a language specialist to validate the errors earlier pointed out by Go. The validated errors, together with additional findings to improve the textbooks, were incorporated in the revised edition of the textbooks and teacher’s manual.

—SOCORRO A. PILOR,
executive director 2,
Instructional Materials Council Secretariat,
Department of Education