MANILA—The Department of Education (DepEd) said Tuesday it conducted workshops with academicians to address the erroneous textbooks used in public schools.

"In its effort to continuously address the persistent problem of errors in textbooks, DepEd’s BLR has conducted three workshops involving academicians and DepEd validators to validate comments and recommendations from the regions regarding learning resources and textbooks for Kindergarten to Grade 10," the agency said in a statement.

"Validated findings, description of errors found, and recommendations on how to correct these will comprise the “notes of teachers” that the Department shall issue through a memorandum to the regions," DepEd added.

• COA flags P254-M DepEd contract for error-filled textbooks

The agency said it also seeks to expand its authority under Republic Act 8047 or Book Publishing Industry Development Act, which confined its mandate to "preparing the minimum learning competencies, and/or prototypes and other specifications for books and/or manuscripts called for; testing, evaluating, selecting, and approving the manuscripts or books to be submitted by the publishers for multiple adoption."

State auditors flagged DepEd to correct errors in P254-million worth of textbooks being used in public schools.

In its 2018 report, the Commission on Audit (COA) said errors in the books for Grade 3 students included Aurora and Zambales' description as coastal provinces, reference to Batangas port as an international gateway, the use of water in thermometers and a remark likening the retina to a curtain that covers the eye.

COA added that P113-million worth of learning materials procured as buffer stock from 2014 to 2017 were "minimally distributed in the last 4 years" and "an alarming number" idle in 5 warehouses.

DepEd said the buffer stock pertains to 7 percent of the completed development, printing and delivery of learning materials for the projected enrollment of the school year.

"This small portion is allotted in times of calamities, as replacement of old or worn-out books, and for newly established schools and increased enrollment, among others," it said.

"The Department is amending aspects of the policy to make the buffer stock available to all schools division offices, with only 0.05 percent maintained at the central office," DepEd added.