Briones on DepEd TV grammar gaffe: Errors due to encoding, not curriculum

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) said Thursday the grammatical and typographical errors in some episodes of DepEd TV’s test broadcast are due to errors in the encoding of learning materials to the digital form.

Netizens took to social media call out an erroneous questionnaire for Grade 8 students filled with typographical and grammatical errors, which they claimed was proof of DepEd’s sloppy preparations for the upcoming school opening on August 24.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones assured the public that the errors did not come from DepEd’s curriculum and it was in the transferring of data where the grammatical and typographical errors where made.

“Nag-institute na kami ng mga control measures (to ensure) na hindi na ‘yun mauulit. It was in inputting in the system na nagresult sa error na ‘yan,” Briones said in a televised Palace press briefing.

“Pero originally ang gumawa noon ay ang ating curriculum group under Undersecretary Dads (Diosdado San Antonio). Ang original walang error it was the transferring to the digital form na there was this typographical error and this should not be allowed to happen again,” she added.

“That’s the usefulness of dry runs, rehearsals and simulations.”

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the government has delayed the school opening for three months and prohibited in-person classes or face-to-face learning.

Public and private schools were instructed to use various alternative learning modalities such as but not limited distance or online learning, and homeschooling.

Lessons for Kinder to Grade 12 students will also be made available on DepEd TV, DepEd Radio, and can be downloaded from DepEd Commons.

JE