Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya admitted to senior Buddhist leaders that a serious error occurred in the country’s new Grade 6 English module, which included a reference to a questionable website. The Prime Minister met with the Mahanayake Theros of the Malwathu and Asgiri Ubhaya Maha Viharaya during visits to both prominent monasteries to discuss the issue and receive guidance.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya assured the senior monks that strict measures would be taken to address the situation. She confirmed that the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission had been alerted, access to the questionable website had been suspended, and a formal investigation was underway following a preliminary review.
During the meetings, the Prime Minister presented 106 sets of textbooks, designed for students in grades 1 to 6 under the new education reforms, to the Mahanayake Theros for their study and feedback. Regarding the English module, she noted that preliminary investigations failed to identify the source of the website inclusion, highlighting the severity of the oversight. She further revealed that additional errors, including spelling mistakes, were discovered after reviewing the books more thoroughly.
In response, the government has decided to reassign the responsibility for preparing and printing textbooks to the National Institute of Education under the Department of Educational Publications. The Prime Minister emphasized that although nearly 5,000 teachers had already received the materials and training on the reforms, the inclusion of website references had gone unnoticed. She confirmed that a new policy will prohibit including website references in school textbooks and that guidelines are being drafted to ensure safe and culturally appropriate use of technology in education.
The Maha Sangha, Sri Lanka’s monastic community, also voiced strong concerns about the incident. Venerable Naranpanawe Ananda Thero, Anunayake of the Asgiri Chapter, stressed that education reforms should be consistent and mindful of national culture, warning that society reacts sensitively to content perceived as harmful to cultural identity. He called for strict accountability to prevent similar mistakes in the future.
Dr. Muruddeniye Dhammarathana Thero, Deputy Registrar of the Asgiri Chapter, highlighted the risks posed by online content controlled from foreign countries, noting that inappropriate material could easily reach students if safeguards are not implemented. Drawing a comparison to policies in countries like Australia, which restrict social media access for children under 16, he urged Sri Lanka to carefully consider the cultural implications of technology in education.
