Exec: DepEd outsourcing learning materials for 3rd, 4th SY quarters

The Department of Education is planning to tap private publishers to produce learning resources that will be used for the third and fourth quarters of the School Year 2020 - 2021, Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio said on Wednesday.

In a roundtable discussion, San Antonio pointed out that outsourcing the service will lessen the workload of DepEd personnel and maximize support from the private sector.

“Ang Quarters 3 and 4 learning resources, we hope to source out from private publishers para naman po ma-reduce na rin ang trabaho ng mga kasama namin. At the same time ma-maximize 'yung contribution ng private sector sa ating mga ginagawa,” he said.

Also, according to San Antonio, local government units have been distributing gadgets to students for distance learning, thus reducing student reliance on printed self-learning modules.

“We will upskill, capacitate our fellow teachers and tap the resources of all partners,” he said.

For the first two weeks of the first academic quarter in October 2020, DepEd said it distributed more than 533 million self-learning modules.

Around 59% of the 22 million students enrolled in public schools or almost 13 million learners preferred the use of the printed lessons.

According to San Antonio, DepEd has enough funds for its programs.—LBG, GMA News