DepEd to seize modules that depicted role of soldiers wrongfully

On Wednesday, the Department of Education (DepEd) ordered the immediate confiscation of a self-learning module that reportedly depicted the role of the Armed Forces in the country’s peace and order in a wrong way. 

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A cartoon portraying soldiers as drunkards and gamblers that is used in a social studies textbook for pupils in the Cordillera has caught the attention of the military, prompting school officials to apologize and recall the book’s distribution. The cartoon depicts a daycare center and a school manned by soldiers in a drinking binge. It was supposed to be an illustration for a lesson for Grade 2 pupils asking them to identify communities that are not functioning properly.

The department informed and warned the public about the said module which is being circulated among students. The SLM, DepEd explained, “violated social content standards by giving false illustration on the role of our military in maintaining peace and order in the community.” 

So far, we have requested the immediate confiscation of the said module,

the DepEd said in a statement. 

The department said that the distribution of modules to students “is not allowed if it does not pass through the review of Division or Regional Offices”. 

Based on our survey, the said module was locally-developed and did not pass through the DepEd Cordillera Administrative Region examination,

it added. 

DepEd assured that it will continue its investigation further on the matter and that it will also exhaust legal remedies and enforce appropriate action and sanctions on those who prepared and distributed such modules to ensure that school learning materials foster quality education and are in best of interest of the children. 

As of October 23, DepEd said 41 errors have been found in SLMs, 27 are locally-developed errors; 11 errors from unknown sources; and 3 errors from Central Office-quality assured SLMs. DepEd said that the types of error reported and verified by DepEd range from factual errors to grammar or syntax.