Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH (17) CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 5696

Introduced by Rep. Eric L. Olivarez

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The rise and emphasis on differentiation in learning in terms of content, process, outcomes,
leaming environment, assessment and evaluation tools in response to variance among
leamers in the classroom! have paved the way to the understanding that a resource which
contains all information ard materials such as a textbook misses to acknowledge variance
among learners. Gregory ind Chapman (2013) argue that, with the growing number of
culturally and linguistical’y diverse learners in the second decade of the 21" Century
(Goodwin, Lefkowits, Woempner & Hubbell, 2011), an effective teacher must know “that
leamers cannot be pleced through the same education hoops” and thus “specific materials and
Tesources are selected to ‘each to the needs of the particular group of students”. This
inevitably led to the existence of online and digitalized learning resources and handouts
which are more congenial io the idea of differentiated learning. Moreover, aside from the
interactivity of these ‘2:hnologically advance and enhanced learning resources, they are
found to be cost-efficient compared to the publication and production textbooks.

Be that as it may, some recent studies suggest that textbooks remain to be effective learning
tools and continue to play vital roles in the curriculum and beyond. The Global Education
Monitoring Report of January 2016 published by no less than the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) observes that there is “a
growing body of evidence confirming the critical role of textbooks in improving student
achievement”. The document, furthermore, states that, since 1990s, the significance of
appropriate textbooks in improving the quality of education has been increasingly highlighted
and effecting influence on education policies. In the findings of White (2004) and Zuze and
Reddy (2014) as quoted by the same document, the increased availability of textbooks partly
increased the mathematics and English test scores of Ghanaian students between 1988 and
2003, and South African students, particularly girls, did better on reading tests when they
have their own textbooks. Despite the limitations of textbooks posed by the differentiation
trend and the disadvantages to teachers and students,” textbooks still yield positive results:
textbooks do not only reflect learning plans and curricula, they influence them. According to

* For an introduction to differentiated learning, see Tomilson, C.A. (August, 200). Differentiation of Instruction
in the Elementary Grades. ERIC Digest. ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education,

* For studies on disadvantages of textbooks, refer to Basturkmen, H. (2010). Developing Courses in English for
Specific Purposes. New York: Pelgrave Macmillan and Graves, K. (2000). Designing Language Course, A Guide
for Teachers, Boston: Cengage Learning



Gak (2011), they provide “consistency within a program across a given level, if all teachers
use the same textbook”. Moreover, textbooks provide “security for the students because they
have a kind of road map of the course: they know what to expect and they know what is
expected from them”.

The point of this representation is simple: textbooks remain to be effective learning tools and,
when appropriately written, yield positive results even in the context of differentiation in
learning. There is, therefore, an urgent need to 1) stipulate standards and regulations to
govern the entire process of publication of textbooks which are to be handmaids in achieving
quality education and 2) provide support for teachers who intend to produce quality
textbooks. We have seen and have been alerted to error-filled textbooks spread and used in
schools across the country. The existence of these error-filled textbooks — one of which has
been reported to have 775 errors “ranging from conceptual, pedagogical, logical and
grammatical errors” i.c. “an average of 2.4 errors per page” — attest to the non-existence of
appropriate measures which must ensure the quality of these materials. The creation of a
development council whose primary functions are the ones mentioned above is, now more
than ever, an urgent concer and need given all these propositions.

Providing quality education does not only amount to making education accessible to all. We
have to make sure that our children are formed in our schools using quality and appropriate
learning resources and tools. Making sure that they enjoy the use of quality and appropriate
learning resources and tools is making sure that the coming generations are not only educated
but epistemically conscientious and responsible and capable of making significant and fully-
informed free choices.

The immediate passage of this bill is sought for.

satire
ERIC L. OLIVAREZ,

See December 27, 2015. “Wrecking Ball” (Inquirer.net), December 27, 2015. “Errors in ‘Science Learner's
Material’ for Grade 4” (Inquirer.net), June 08, 2015. “Crusader finds 1,300 errors in Grade 10 book”

{inguirer.net) among others.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH (17") CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 5696

Introduced by Rep. Eric L. Olivarez

AN ACT
CREATING THE NATIONAL TEXTBOOK DEVELOPMENT
COUNCIL

SECTION 1. This Act shall be known “National Textbook Development Council Act
of 2017”.

SEC. 2. The State, in fostering patriotism and nationalism, accelerating social
progress and promoting total human liberation and development (1987 Constitution, Art. II,
Sec. 17), gives priority to education as a social institution which plays as agent in forming
responsible citizens capable of making intelligent decisions that affect both personal and
social domains of life. In ensuring that this policy is observed and translates to concrete
measures and programs, the State enables the Department of Education, Commission on
Higher Education and other related government agencies in coordination with related
nongovernment agencies to develop policies relevant to their mandates.

SEC. 3. The National Textbook Development Council shall be established in order to
oversee, regulate and support the development and publication of all textbooks and similar
learning resources and tools in whatever format used in both basic and higher education in
the Philippines.

SEC. 4. The primary functions of the National Textbook Development Council are:

a) Lay down specific conceptual, pedagogical and publication standards
and guidelines in the development of textbooks and similar learning
resources and tools in whatever format;

b) Coordinate with and tap the academic community in the review of
content, structure and other pedagogical aspects of textbooks and
similar learning resources and tools in whatever format;

©) Regulate, assess and, if necessary, stipulate appropriate sanctions on
textbooks and similar learning resources and tools authors, publishers
and developers in their compliance with the standards and guidelines;
and



¢) Create an accreditation system for authors, publishers and developers
so that those whose performance are excellent may get support from
the council.

SEC. 5. The National Textbook Development Council shall begin the review process
of any manuscript or prototype (in the case of other formats) as soon as it is officially
received. The review period must take a minimum of three (3) months to a maximum of six
(6) months. The process is as follows:

a) The Council assigns the submitted manuscript or prototype to two (2)
reviewers whose identities are not disclosed tothe
author/publisher/developer.

b) The reviewers are given two (2) months to evaluate and make
recommendations on the submitted manuscript or prototype. As soon
as the review process ends, the author/publisher/developer is notified
by the Council regarding the results,

c) By the end of the review process, the manuscript or prototype may be
APPROVED, APPROVED WITH MINOR REVISIONS, FOR
REEVALUATION or REJECTED.

d) A manuscript or prototype which earned the APPROVED status may
proceed with the publication or production fifteen (15) days upon
receipt of notice.

©) A manuscript or prototype which eared the APPROVED WITH
MINOR REVISIONS status must make the necessary revisions wit
the period of thirty (30) days or one (1) month, If it fails to comply, it
will be submitted again for initial review.

f) A manuscript or prototype which earned the FOR REEVALUATION
status has to be revised for substantial corrections. It must be
submitted again for initial review within the period of two (2) months
unless otherwise will be rejected.

g) A manuscript or prototype which eared the REJECTED status will
have implications to the performance rating of the
cuthor/publisher/developer.

h) Ail textbooks and similar learning resources and tools in whatever
format must carry the seal of approval of the Council.

SEC. 6. The National Textbook Development Council must be composed of
authorized qualified representative from the following government and nongovernment
agencies:

a) Department of Education;

b) Commission on Higher Education;

c) National Book Development Board; and

4) Philippine Educational Publishers Association.

SEC. 7. Any person, company or entity who refuses or fails to comply with the review
process will be not awarded certification and may be sanctioned appropriately.


SEC. 8. The staff and other personnel necessary for the operations of the National
Textbook Development Council shall be provided by the Department of Education and
Commission on Higher Education and shall receive honoraria in the performance of their
functions,

SEC. 9. The operational expenses of the National Development Council shall be taken
from the budgetary allocations of the Department of Education and Commission on Higher
Education for the first year and shall be included in the General Appropriations Act in
succeeding years,

SEC. 10. The agencies which compose the National Development Council mentioned
in Section 6 shall issue the necessary implementing rules and regulation for the effective
implementation of this Act,

SEC. 11. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,