WHAT WENT BEFORE

Self-styled “sick books crusader” Antonio Calipjo Go has slammed the Department of Education (DepEd) in recent years for publishing error-riddled textbooks and teaching materials used in public schools.

A 2018 Commission on Audit report cited Go’s letter to the editor published in the Inquirer in May last year. In his letter, Go, academic supervisor at Marian School of Quezon City, said he found two books developed and published by the DepEd and currently used in public schools to be riddled with errors.

The 363-page Grade 3 “English Learner’s Material,” written by 15 authors and reviewed by three others, has 430 errors, while the Grade 3 “Araling Panlipunan Learner’s Material” contains 1,308 errors.

Some of the errors are:

•  Manila is near the equator that’s why its temperature is low and sometimes it rises.

•  The Philippines is an island of 7,100 islands.

•  Palay is the main food of Filipinos.

•  The Pasig River flows through many rivers before it exits into Manila Bay.

•  Places that have the biggest population have the most number of people.

•  Taal Volcano is immersed in Taal Lake.

•  People from India are called Bombay.

•  From Laguna the highway will pass going to Quezon.

•  Batangas and Bataan, which are rich in marine resources, are brought to the market.

In June 2015, Go said he found some 1,300 errors in the Grade 10 book, “Diversity: Celebrating Multiculturism (sic) Through World Literature.”

The 508-page book supposedly went through two consultants, 10 authors, 10 reviewers, one language editor and a production team, according to Go.

Some of the errors are:

• The Filipino Spirit is Water Proof.

• Instant coffee is preferred to coffee that must be boiled yet.

• He is now Emeritus Professor at Oxford.

• Autumn is described as in-between summer and winter.

• Beauty ensures permanent and remarkable success.  Brawn ensures temporary success.

• Sisyphus was condemned to roll uphill forever.

• I am that is deeper than your name and form.

• Realize the feminine side of nature.

• Ibong Adarna is a big part of the Philippine literature. The story centers about catching the mythical bird.

Then Education Secretary Armin Luistro played down the glaring errors, saying the book that was critiqued was the first draft and was still in the printing process.

Go pointed out that another textbook published by the DepEd for Grade 4 pupils, “English Learner’s Material,” contained more than 400 errors.

The 432-page book was supposedly made by 12 authors and five consultants and editors—all five of them with doctorates.

In the book, “every day,” a two-word adverb of time, is written all over the book as “everyday,” which is an adjective.

There were also pages about the elementary skills of alphabetizing and distinguishing shapes and pronunciation of common sight words.

A learner’s material, “Let’s Begin Reading in English,” for Grade 2 pupils in public schools had more than 200 errors, Go said.

In response to the controversy, Assistant Education Secretary Anna Ganzon said Department Order No. 44, s. 2013 (Moratorium on the Procurement of Supplementary Reading, Reference, and other Instructional Materials) came about to uphold transparency in such transactions and procurement activities, and ensure that the supplementary reading materials and other IMs are aligned with the K-12 curriculum.

“The DepEd follows the stages involved in the evaluation and selection process of manuscripts to ensure the quality of the learning materials. The printing and delivery of textbooks and teacher’s manuals for use in public schools nationwide shall be procured in accordance with the bidding processes for the procurement of goods and services,” Ganzon said. —INQUIRER RESEARCH

Sources: Inquirer Archives