THERE is something worrisome in the way the Department of Education (DepEd) has been enmeshed in morally debasing issues that tend to besmirch its aura of ethical uprightness and moral ascendancy.

The institution has always been looked up to as setting up for our country the standard of excellence against which our millions of schoolchildren and young students could morally account themselves early in life.

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Unfortunately, this does not seem to be generally so in our time.

In recent years, matters involving grave ethical questions about certain programs or projects of the education department have come to public awareness.

Some of the talks and issues still continue to becloud the department’s integrity.

Noodles purchase

The most recent issue is the proposed P427-million noodles purchase for its food program.

Exposed for having been contracted at an exorbitant price, the department head backtracked.

While certain concerns were expressed regarding the nutritional value of the noodles, the real point in the complaint against the feeding program is the alleged overpriced cost per pack.

The whistleblower contends that the noodle costs only P5 per pack in the market.

Granting the noodles are fortified with nutrients, would such enrichment cost P17 more than the average price of the packs in the market?

It is clear that DepEd did not push through with the signing of the contract obviously to avoid further trouble.

Yet the DepEd secretary announced yesterday he is a holding a re-bidding of the noodles food program, and is inviting everyone interested to join in the process, including the whistleblower.

Note that this is not the first time DepEd has been involved in material procurement cases that allude to a collusion of malfeasance in the process.

Not many months ago, the issue of textbooks that are ridden with errors—both in grammar and context—was exposed.

The recent one was about a science textbook.

Some years back, similar cases were uncovered, which were never resolved.

Real issue

But the real point here is about the DepEd itself, its prestige and standing.

It is, after all, the office that carries the lead in educating our young towards upholding the ethical values and moral standards we hold deeply as a people.