DepEd on viral lecture with grammatical errors: It's just a typo

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 13) – The Department of Education said the grammatically incorrect materials which aired on DepEd TV were due to a typing error and will not happen again. 

"Na-trace na namin anong nangyari sa dry run na 'yan. Ang material ay galing sa aming curriculum group, tapos in-input ng aming technical people. Nagkaroon ng error sa pag-transfer at sa pagkopya," Secretary Leonor Briones said during a virtual Malacañang briefing Thursday. 

[Translation: We traced what happened during that dry run. The material came from the curriculum group, which was then encoded by our technical people. There was an error in transferring and copying (the material).]

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Briones added that the dry run was important so they can spot possible issues which may arise. "Nag-institute na kami ng control measures na hindi na 'yon mauulit [We have instituted control measures so that won't happen again]," she added, clarifying that the original material was correct.

Screenshots of a supposed interactive material which aired as TV episodes ahead of the opening of the new school year on August 24, which will employ blended learning strategies to prevent coronavirus infections. One post showed a Grade 8 English lecture, which asked students to define the word "picturesque" used in the wrong context for a sentence.

Another showed a misspelled word.

TV shows produced for school children have been piloted for test runs between August 11-21 through state-run IBC 13. These shows cover various grade levels.

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Briones said it's all systems go for the opening of classes in public elementary and high schools come August 24, adding that pilot runs went smoothly.

"We have conducted more than 500 simulations. Tine-testing namin ang blended education kung ito ay uubra. Nakikita namin na ito ay uubra maski walang face-to-face classes at this time [We are testing if blended education will work. We think it will work even if there are no face-to-face classes at this time]," she added.

Half of public school classrooms in Metro Manila will be temporarily used as quarantine facilities by local government units, with President Rodrigo Duterte banning face-to-face classes until a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available for wide distribution.