DepEd finds 155 errors in learning materials from Oct. 2020 to June 2021

FILE PHOTO: Teachers distribute modules that will be used in distance learning at Francisco Elementary School in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. The Department of Education shifted to distance learning for the upcoming start of classes on Monday (October 5, 2020) to comply with President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive for schools to delay face-to-face classes until COVID-19 vaccine becomes available. INQUIRER PHOTO/ JAM STA ROSA

MANILA, Philippines — There were 155 confirmed errors found in learning materials used in distance learning from October 2020 to June 2021, the Department of Education (DepEd) reported Monday.

DepEd Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio said that from October 2020 to June 2021, there were 163 reported errors in learning materials used amid the pandemic. Of these reported errors, 155 were confirmed following validation by the education department.

Of the 155 confirmed errors, Diosdado said 104 are from locally-developed materials or those developed by DepEd regional offices, division offices, or schools; one from “privately-developed” materials; one from DepEd textbook; five from DepEd TV; 25 from materials reviewed by the central office; and 19 from unknown sources.

AAMBIS-OWA Partylist Rep. Sharon Garin said the errors found in the learning materials were “disappointing” as she specifically zoned in on the errors found from unknown sources.

“Hindi ba nakakatakot ‘yan that nakakalusot yan at hindi nya alam kung saan nanggaling, how did it happen? I would understand that you are able to correct locally-sourced errors but unknown sources, how do you make that numbers smaller? I think that’s one thing that is very alarming,” Garin said.

In response, Diosdado said the unknown sources are those “posted on social media but we could not find” where the materials are being used.

“While we share the concerns of Congresswoman Garin that it is really alarming if these are the ones happening in the school, when we validated these errors… they have not been found to be used in the Department of Education,” Diosdado said.

“They were attempts perhaps by some people who would want to also say that DepEd is using erroneous resources. But as we’ve tried to validate them, we could not find a school using those self-learning modules cited,” he added.

In the same hearing, DepEd Undersecretary Tonisito Umali reiterated their earlier statement on the errors found in the learning materials.

“It is our humble view that many of the words and phrases considered by the audit team to be notably erroneous are matters of usage and editorial preference,” Umali said.

EDV