Not in my book, please!

Thanks to a brave, crusading private educator, incompetent book authors and giant publishing houses that have been poisoning the minds of the youth for decades got the needed jolt when numerous glaring errors in textbooks endorsed by the Department of Education were exposed.

Way back 2004, Antonio Calipjo-Go started his crusade after discovering stunning, sometimes comical grammatical, factual and translation errors in textbooks used by public elementary and high school students nationwide.

Rather than immediately recalling these inferior products, these giant publishing houses – perhaps fearful of losing hundred millions in government contracts – instead slapped Go with lawsuits in a bid to silence or discredit him.

In the middle of last year, these same books that Go criticized were the subject of an order issued by DepEd chief Jesli Lapus. School principals were instructed to pull out from their shelves these books due to the glaring errors.

Whose call?

At the start of the new year, the Commission on Higher Education entered the picture and said it would take the initiative to review all textbooks used in the current school year and make sure that there are no errors similar to those spotted by Go. 

As mandated by law, it is the National Book Development Board (NBDB) that has the responsibility of reviewing the quality and content of textbooks up for bidding and/or procurement. 

If CHED is taking over, what is the purpose of NBDB? Why not save the government a few millions by getting rid of this agency which has allowed or condoned the pollution of our youth’s minds for years?

In addition, if Lapus himself issued an order suspending the use of the erroneous textbooks, shouldn’t there be an order to ban its publisher, punish those who approved its content for purchase by the government, and order the publisher to reimburse the government or pay for damages?

Has anyone been jailed, penalized or sanctioned for the textbook brouhaha?

Shaping up

On another note, it seems there are improvements being introduced to resuscitate our ailing education sector. A report by DepEd says, among other things, of a higher achievement rate for students, lower drop-out rates, improved classroom to pupil ratio, more new or refurbished classrooms, new teachers, and more teaching competency training.

By the end of the current school year, DepEd is boasting it will have equipped all 6,393 public high schools with computer laboratories. The next target, we hope, is to ensure all students are able to avail of sufficient time to use computers and learn basic IT skills.

On the side of tertiary education, CHED should not only focus on improving the quality of learning by our college students, but also make sure that the courses offered are those that the market needs. Nothing can be more frustrating for graduates and their parents than endless months of job-hunting.

Moral fiber

Aside from knowledge, the education system is partly responsible for the development of a country’s moral fiber. At a young age, many desirable (and undesirable) traits of a nation’s people are shaped by what the educational system spews out.

Take character building, for instance. This is a key component to a child’s education, along with the usual academics. An academically-equipped child who is ignorant of basic values and good character can hardly be a positive factor to society.

This is perhaps why the CHED’s textbook review team said it would also inject more values formation in textbook content to make up for the absence of such in the current curriculum. 

Our elders often relish the time when one of the subjects taught to them in school decades ago was GMRC or good manners and right conduct. In this age of dysfunctional families, social distortions and negative influences, GMRC’s re-emergence is long overdue.

Changing Filipino time

The DepEd is also injecting a new meaning to the negative term “Filipino time.” Through “We are Time Conscious and Honest” or WATCH, DepEd is distributing modules on the importance of punctuality and organization as part of the values formation campaign. 

When punctuality is instilled in the minds of the young, perhaps there is a better, bigger chance that more of our future professionals and leaders would be responsible enough to realize that the correct outlook about time and punctuality will have a big impact and great rewards in productivity and global competition.

Lastly, consistently inculcating in our young the values of right and wrong – basics in shaping a people who will stand up to what is right, and to reject what is wrong – will go a long, long way in reshaping tomorrow’s more morally upright society. This should be our best bet in the fight against corruption.

FISU’s disappointing move

It was a sad day for local collegiate basketball as FISU, the organizer of the Universiade Games, advised Jose “Junjun” Capistrano, the local FISU contact person, that the Philippines is not among the 24 countries participating in the basketball event scheduled this July.

Although the $5,000 participation deposit has been paid, the organizers noted that the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP) membership status is unclear considering that the country has not participated in the Games since 1967. FISU cited that participation and performance in previous Games are important criteria in selecting the 24 teams from among the 30 applicants.

Participation in an international competition was one of the prizes offered by Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP) to DLSU Green Archers, the winner of the 2008 Philippine Collegiate Championship Games.

SBP officials are currently working on alternatives that will be presented to Bro. Bernie Oca of DLSU, who was very disappointed when informed of the FISU response.

Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25^th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me at [email protected]. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net.