Luistro urges cooperation between textbook crusader, publishers to raise textbook quality

MANILA, Philippines - Story books and other reading materials in public preschools are riddled with errors and have content harmful to young children’s impressionable minds, a quality textbook crusader said the other day.

Antonio Calipjo-Go, academic supervisor of Marian School in Sauyo, Novaliches, Quezon City, said that a quality check he has done on some 28 “supplementary reading materials” being distributed in public and private preschools shows numerous errors and have content better left out of the supposed learning materials.

Go has blown the whistle on numerous textbooks made obligatory reference materials for millions of public and private elementary and high school students in the country in the last several years.

The extent of the errors and the questionable contents, he said were also considerable, needing a two-book corrigenda or error guide to guide teachers of children who will be exposed to the said materials.

Go turned over the corrigenda to Education Secretary Armin Luistro in official ceremonies held the other day with officials of several publishers present.

Luistro played referee to a face-to-face between Go and the publishing company officials where Go was again met with angry and indignant tirades.

Luistro, however, said that the meeting between Go and the publishers, with him and officials of the DepEd’s Instructional Materials Council Secretariat (IMCS), was hopefully a new beginning for a cooperative atmosphere between Go and the publishers.

Luistro said DepEd was encouraging textbook and storybook publishers to cultivate good working relations with Go and cooperate with him in correcting errors and avoiding the inclusion of questionable content in books that are required reading for young students.

“At the end of the day, it’s all up to you,” Luistro told publishers present.

Luistro emphasized that improving the quality of textbooks is among the 10-point education agenda of President Aquino. “We are one with the President. Poor quality textbooks have no place in our schools. Hence, we should not leave any room for error,” Luistro said.

Luistro’s visit to Marian School was his second, the first during middle of last year to solicit the help of Go and encourage him in his crusade to improve the quality of textbooks being distributed in private and public schools.

“This issue should be taken seriously especially that these textbooks are the readily available source of information our students have particularly in areas where internet connection is not available,” said Luistro.

In his meeting with Go, Luistro gave assurances to the crusading academician that his efforts at identifying these sub-standard textbooks will be supported by DepEd.