Courtesy Hiru News

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education is currently considering three alternative solutions to address a controversial page in the recently printed Grade 6 English module, developed by the National Institute of Education (NIE).

Secretary to the Ministry, Nalaka Kaluwewa, stated that education experts are discussing whether to remove the problematic page and complete the book with or without a new printed replacement.

The goal is to resolve the issue at minimum cost without damaging the overall content of the material. Discussions are also underway with the Department of Educational Publications and the Government Printing Corporation.

The controversy arose after a typing error in the newly introduced syllabus redirected users to an inappropriate website, rather than the intended educational resource.

The Secretary noted that the faulty page must be removed without affecting other lessons in the module. He assured that a final decision based on expert advice will be implemented swiftly to meet the January 21 distribution deadline.

Approximately 350,000 copies of the module were printed at a cost of nearly Rs.60 million. Secretary Kaluwewa emphasised that the books will not be completely reprinted; instead, the specific page will be removed and handled according to the most suitable expert-recommended alternative.

A formal complaint has also been lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to investigate if the error was an act of sabotage.