Education Ministry Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewa has filed a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) regarding an incident where the name of an inappropriate website was mentioned in a Grade 6 English language module.
Speaking to the media today (31 Dec), Kaluwewa said the Ministry of Education has reasonable suspicion that external influence may have been involved in including the name of the inappropriate website.
Stating that there has been opposition to the government’s education reforms and that the incident could be a sabotage attempt, he said a complaint has been lodged with the CID to conduct an inquiry.
Earlier, the Ministry of Education said that the Grade 6 English language module prepared by the National Institute of Education has already been printed.
Therefore, the distribution of the module has been suspended, and an immediate investigation into the matter has been launched, the Ministry said, in a statement.
The matter came to light after social activist Tilini Shalvin highlighted that a typing error appearing in three places in the newly introduced Grade 6 syllabus had redirected users to an unintended website, instead of the educational application referenced in the lesson.
Subsequent checks by authorities confirmed that the incorrect reference directed users to a website catering to a gay audience, prompting concerns over the suitability of the content for school material.
Responding to the issue, the Ministry of Education said an inquiry was initiated after receiving a complaint regarding an inappropriate web reference in a Grade 6 English module prepared by the National Institute of Education.
The Ministry confirmed that an initial review had verified the complaint, following which distribution of the printed module was immediately suspended. An investigation had also been launched with immediate effect to identify those responsible.
The Ministry added that corrective steps will be taken following the outcome of the inquiry, and measures will be introduced to prevent similar lapses in future syllabus reforms. (Newswire)