Sri Lanka news: Scandal Rocks NIE: Unauthorized Last-Minute Edits Led to “Adult Site” Link in Grade 6 Module

By Lions Roar News Investigative Desk

COLOMBO, SRI LANKA (Tuesday, January 20, 2026) — A high-level investigation into the Grade 6 English module crisis has uncovered a shocking breach of protocol at the National Institute of Education (NIE).

Minister and Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake revealed that a last-minute amendment—bypassing the standard 12-step verification process—was responsible for an adult website’s name being included in a student textbook.

🕵️ The Investigation: 12 Stages Ignored

Appearing on TV Derana’s 360 program on Monday night, Minister Rathnayake detailed the findings of the internal inquiry committee.

Broken Protocol: Standard procedure for textbooks requires a 12-stage check, followed by three rounds of proofing and a final NIE review.
The Loophole: The investigation found that while the original module followed these steps, a last-minute revision was inserted without being passed through the verification chain.
The Result: This unvetted edit allowed the controversial link to reach the final print.

🚫 Disciplinary Action & Suspensions

The committee recorded statements from eight individuals and recommended immediate disciplinary action against three key officials:

Deputy Director General (NIE): Sent on compulsory leave.
Two Senior Female Officials: Placed under immediate suspension.

The Minister also addressed allegations regarding the qualifications of these officials, noting that if under-qualified staff are handling sensitive educational material, errors are inevitable. He dismissed claims of political favoritism, asserting that the government remains impartial, even if family members of the officials are politically active.

🔍 Conspiracy or Negligence?

When questioned if the error was a deliberate “conspiracy” to sabotage the government, the Minister stated it was “logical” to investigate that possibility. However, he challenged Opposition Leader Sajit Premadasa to prove if any other part of the module contained inappropriate content.

“I challenge [Sajit Premadasa]—if you can’t do it this week, do it in February—show us any other inappropriate thing in that module besides that one link,” Rathnayake said, defending the overall intent of the curriculum.

📊 The “12-Step” Checkpoint System (The Process that Failed)

Stage	Action	Status in This Case
Stages 1–12	Multi-tier verification & drafting	Followed for original draft.
Proofing 1–3	Intensive spelling & fact-checking	Followed for original draft.
Final NIE Review	Proofreading and final sign-off	Followed for original draft.
Last-Minute Edit	Final amendment before printing	BYPASSED ALL PROTOCOLS