DepEd’s 608.7M worth of textbooks now obsolete – COA

Over 16 million textbooks worth 608.7 million that were purchased by the Department of Education ( DepEd) just two years ago have become obsolete and are “no longer responsive” to the enhanced K to 12 curriculum that will be fully implemented this year, the Commission on Audit has disclosed.

In the same COA audit report that was released this week, auditors chided DepEd officials for the “low utilization rate” of 1.827 billion that the government made available as 2013 Quick Response Fund for the rehabilitation or replacement of schools damaged by natural disasters.

“Moreover, the delayed procurement of the 8,595,999 learning materials amounting to 295.2 milion under the enhanced curriculum of the K- to- 12 program for SY 2013-2014 deprived the students of the much-needed learning resources since most deliveries were made during the 3rd and 4th quarters of SY 2013-2014,” COA added in its 2013 annual audit report for DepEd.

The state audit agency claimed that although the effectivity of the K-to-12 system under the Basic Education Curriculum started during SY 20122013, DepEd officials failed to stop the delivery of 16,296,231 textbooks which were originally contracted in 2011.

“The said deliveries cover mostly the textbook requirements of the Grade levels that will be already covered by the first and second year implementation of K- to- 12,” audit examiners noted.

“Thus, the delivered textbooks will eventually be regarded only as reference materials being no longer responsive to the enhanced K to 12 curriculums even though they were received by the schools for use for SY 2012-2013,” auditors added.

COA said only 46 percent or 848.9 million of the 1.827 QRF was downloaded in 2013, of which about 687.5 million or 81 percent of the downloaded funds released in the last quarter of 2013.

The slow release of the fund has been attributed to the “procedural requirement of releasing the sub allotment order only upon the submission of Resolution to Award by the operat- ing units.

As a result, delays were noted in the implementation of projects, “depriving the communities with the much needed” funds to rehabilitate damaged schools or build new ones.

According to COA, the QRF was badly needed in 2013 when several natural disasters, including super typhoon Yolanda and the deadly Bohol earthquake, destroyed many school buildings in the country.

Reacting to the COA findings, DepEd said that the textbooks “were still responsive to many learning competencies under the K-to-12 curriculum.”

“Textbooks are never totally obsolete inasmuch as basic knowledge and information and skills being developed do not become obsolete,” officials stressed.

Nevertheless, auditors asked DepEd to determine who among its officials should be held accountable in the procurement of textbooks “under the old curriculum.”

They also asked the education department to ‘ plan adequate and realistic timelines in the procurement process and delivery of textbooks and learning materials.”

Audit examiners lamented that various schools in Marikina and Pasig City have also failed to distribute the books bought for 4.65 million.

COA said the procurement of the books could be considered “unnecessary expenses”.

In the same annual audit report, COA disclosed that 63 percent of 15,263,111 more textbooks costing

509.11 million were delivered to division or district offices of DepEd before the actual start of classes which is already late.

According to auditors, the late deliveries “will affect the learning process as the students will not have the right resources to assist them in their studies.”

“The procurement conducted reflects lapses in planning and lack of foresight considering that as early as 2010 DepEd is already gearing up towards the implementation of K-to12. Thus, it can be said that the lack of preparedness of the agency in the implementation of K-to-12 deprived the students their access to quality education,” the audit agency said.