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(NAR) VOL. 9 NO. 3 / JULY - SEPTEMBER 1998
[ DECS ORDER NO. 61, s. 1998, June 29, 1998 ]
DECS POLICIES CONCERNING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
1. Purpose — This DECS Order is intended to clarify the Department’s policies concerning instructional materials used in public and private elementary and secondary schools as determined by the DECS Instructional Materials Council. The policies contained herein (Annex 1) complement those which continue to be implemented by DECS, are covered by previously issued DECS Orders or Memoranda, and are not inconsistent with this DECS Order.
2. For any query or further clarification re. The Policies included in this DECS Order, please write or call the DECS Instructional Materials Council Secretariat (IMCS) at the former IMC Complex, A. Ma. Regidor St., Area XI, U.P. Diliman, Quezon City with Telephone nos. 920-18-94 or 922-99-82 to 84 and telefax 920-1887.
3. For the information and guidance of all concerned.
Adopted: 29 June 1998
(SGD.) ERLINDA C. PEFIANCO
Secretary
DECS Policies Concerning Instructional Materials
A. Procurement of Textbooks and Teacher’s Manuals for Public Elementary and Secondary Schools
1. Only textbooks and teacher’s manuals approved by the DECS Instructional Materials Council may be procured and used as such in all public elementary and secondary schools.
2. The price ceilings of these materials as approved by the DECS Instructional Materials Council shall apply in all cases wherein government funds are used.
3. School empowerment shall be applied in the selection of titles and quantities of books to be purchased; DECS Regional and Division Offices should ensure that purchases of these books are based on individual school preferences and should not unduly influence the school selection process.
4. SY 1998-1999 marks the final year that the DECS, through the DECS International Materials Council Secretariat, shall continue to process applications by publishers to commercially reprint and sell or supply DECS-owned textbook titles in Elementary Grades 4 to 6 and Third and Fourth Year High School.
5. DECS Officials with conflict of interest (i.e., writers/authors and/or those who receive royalties/commissions/honoraria from publishers with approved textbooks and teacher’s manuals) should inhibit themselves from directly or indirectly participating in activities/efforts where school officials select which books to order and/or where orders are consolidated and/or finalized.
B. Commercial Sale or DECS-Approved Textbooks and Teacher’s Manuals
1. Publishers/Owners of DECS-Approved Textbooks and Teacher’s Manuals may sell their books directly to the general public provided that these books shall not carry the “NOT FOR SALE” mark found on all government-purchased books and shall instead be marked “COMMERCIAL EDITION” on their front cover.
2. Contents and number of pages of the Commercial Edition books of the publishers should be exactly the same as those of the corresponding DECS-Approved Textbook and Teacher’s Manual.
3. DECS shall encourage publishers/owners of DECS-approved Textbooks and Teacher’s Manuals to set reasonable and affordable prices for their Commercial Edition books.
C. Instructional Materials Used in Private Elementary and Secondary Schools
1. Private schools are encouraged to adopt instructional materials duly evaluated and approved by DECS for use in the schools.
2. Private schools should continue to ensure that instructional materials they intend to procure/use/continue using meet or exceed DECS’s standards and are not contrary to law
D. Evaluation of Instructional Materials
1. DECS, through the DECS Instructional Materials Council Secretariat, shall institute measures to decentralize from the Central to the Regional level the responsibility for managing the evaluation of supplementary and reference materials before the end of CY 1998.
2. Evaluation of pre-school instructional materials intended for use in public schools shall be the responsibility of the DECS Bureau of Elementary Education.
E. Endorsement of Instructional Materials by DECS Officials
1. DECS Central and Regional Officials should not sign endorsements, give messages, forwards and/or comments to be contained in or sent with DECS-Approved Instructional Materials if by doing so this would give unfair marketing advantage to publishers over others.
2. For any query or further clarification re. The Policies included in this DECS Order, please write or call the DECS Instructional Materials Council Secretariat (IMCS) at the former IMC Complex, A. Ma. Regidor St., Area XI, U.P. Diliman, Quezon City with Telephone nos. 920-18-94 or 922-99-82 to 84 and telefax 920-1887.
3. For the information and guidance of all concerned.
Adopted: 29 June 1998
(SGD.) ERLINDA C. PEFIANCO
Secretary
Annex1
A. Procurement of Textbooks and Teacher’s Manuals for Public Elementary and Secondary Schools
1. Only textbooks and teacher’s manuals approved by the DECS Instructional Materials Council may be procured and used as such in all public elementary and secondary schools.
2. The price ceilings of these materials as approved by the DECS Instructional Materials Council shall apply in all cases wherein government funds are used.
3. School empowerment shall be applied in the selection of titles and quantities of books to be purchased; DECS Regional and Division Offices should ensure that purchases of these books are based on individual school preferences and should not unduly influence the school selection process.
4. SY 1998-1999 marks the final year that the DECS, through the DECS International Materials Council Secretariat, shall continue to process applications by publishers to commercially reprint and sell or supply DECS-owned textbook titles in Elementary Grades 4 to 6 and Third and Fourth Year High School.
5. DECS Officials with conflict of interest (i.e., writers/authors and/or those who receive royalties/commissions/honoraria from publishers with approved textbooks and teacher’s manuals) should inhibit themselves from directly or indirectly participating in activities/efforts where school officials select which books to order and/or where orders are consolidated and/or finalized.
B. Commercial Sale or DECS-Approved Textbooks and Teacher’s Manuals
1. Publishers/Owners of DECS-Approved Textbooks and Teacher’s Manuals may sell their books directly to the general public provided that these books shall not carry the “NOT FOR SALE” mark found on all government-purchased books and shall instead be marked “COMMERCIAL EDITION” on their front cover.
2. Contents and number of pages of the Commercial Edition books of the publishers should be exactly the same as those of the corresponding DECS-Approved Textbook and Teacher’s Manual.
3. DECS shall encourage publishers/owners of DECS-approved Textbooks and Teacher’s Manuals to set reasonable and affordable prices for their Commercial Edition books.
C. Instructional Materials Used in Private Elementary and Secondary Schools
1. Private schools are encouraged to adopt instructional materials duly evaluated and approved by DECS for use in the schools.
2. Private schools should continue to ensure that instructional materials they intend to procure/use/continue using meet or exceed DECS’s standards and are not contrary to law
D. Evaluation of Instructional Materials
1. DECS, through the DECS Instructional Materials Council Secretariat, shall institute measures to decentralize from the Central to the Regional level the responsibility for managing the evaluation of supplementary and reference materials before the end of CY 1998.
2. Evaluation of pre-school instructional materials intended for use in public schools shall be the responsibility of the DECS Bureau of Elementary Education.
E. Endorsement of Instructional Materials by DECS Officials
1. DECS Central and Regional Officials should not sign endorsements, give messages, forwards and/or comments to be contained in or sent with DECS-Approved Instructional Materials if by doing so this would give unfair marketing advantage to publishers over others.