5 pupils sharing 1 textbook — a problem that has become all too common in every public school. A problem I first experienced 25 years ago. A problem current elementary and high school students are still facing. And to add insult to the injury, the latest textbooks have been found to be riddled with errors — from simple spelling to flagrant factual errors.
Pouring it more money is not enough simply because it makes no sense in making more copies of defective textbooks. More money would benefit only the handful of publishers that has been cornering huge textbooks contracts — an existence of a cartel even the secretary of the Department of Education admits.
Changing policies and replacing the people at DepEd will not do good either as long as the current closed and centralized approach to textbook development remains. Currently, public scrutiny only happens once textbooks have been printed where errors, comments, and suggestions is too late a good thing.
We offer a different solution. A solution that can improve quality and reduce cost of the textbooks, simplify public access to educational materials, and allow more publishers to participate.
Visit www.bayanihanbooks.org for more information.
