PROCUREMENT OF BOOKS

JEFFERSON L. SISON

The Department of Education has made a commitment to deliver 80 percent of textbooks for Grades 1, 4, and 7 by July this year.

According to the agency, the award for successful bidders for textbooks will be issued by March.

The Notice to Proceed meanwhile, will be issued by April which signals the start of printing, the DepEd said during a meeting with the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).

During her Basic Education Report 2024, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte said that alongside traditional textbooks, they will also provide e-textbooks for learners.

She said they have consulted with various publishers to facilitate the provision of etextbooks and leveraging digital technology.

The Education Chief added that in the procurement of textbooks for the MATATAG K-10 Curriculum, the winning bidder is required to provide electronic copies that learners may access anytime, anywhere.

In its Year One Report, EDCOM 2 cited one of its findings that for Grade 1 to Grade 10, only 27 textbooks have been procured since 2012.

“Specifically, since the introduction of the K to 12 curriculum, only Grades 5 and 6 textbooks have been successfully procured,” the report read.

EDCOM 2 has been urging DepEd to ensure timely textbook procurement for the upcoming school year and recommended for the agency to look into the possibility of procuring books that are already available in the market rather than engaging publishers to develop new ones.

author is Teacher

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II at Calapi Negrito Elementary School