Wimal lashes out as Education Secretary goes to CID over Buddy.net

Mr. Nalaka Kaluwewa, Secretary to the Ministry of Education, today (04) lodged a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), requesting a formal investigation into the controversial incident where the name of a website unsuitable for schoolchildren was included in a Grade Six English language learning module, which was to be introduced under the new education reform process. The Secretary stated that this complaint was filed to ascertain whether the incident was merely a technical error or a conspiracy aimed at discrediting the government's new education program.

Following the submission of the complaint, the Secretary made a special statement to the media, emphasizing that the Ministry's preliminary internal investigation has already confirmed that a website name, which should absolutely not have been included, was present in the relevant English module.

The Secretary pointed out that immediate action was taken regarding this incident, and that such an occurrence should never happen within a school curriculum, reminding that an official statement has already been issued on the matter. However, the Secretary strongly emphasized that rather than concluding this error was a mere oversight, he has reasonable suspicion that it might be a planned conspiracy by some party to discredit the ongoing education reform process in the eyes of society. He stated that various parties have leveled baseless accusations targeting this reform process throughout the recent period, and it needs to be deeply investigated whether a disruptive group deliberately carried this out to practically substantiate those accusations.

Mr. Nalaka Kaluwewa pointed out that compiling curricula and modules for schoolchildren is a long and complex process, explaining that this process involves several steps including module compilation, examination, editing, and final printing. He further stated that he has strong suspicions about how this document, with such a serious error, reached final printing, bypassing all security measures and checks. The Secretary confirmed that the primary responsibility for preparing curricula and modules lies with the National Institute of Education, and an internal investigation is already underway regarding any oversight or error that may have occurred there. However, he mentioned that the assistance of the Criminal Investigation Department was sought to scientifically investigate whether there was any external influence or a politically motivated subversive act behind this, beyond the administrative scope of the Ministry.

It is reported that approximately 106 modules have been printed under this new reform process, with a large team, including experts, contributing to them. Although most of these modules were written before 2024, it appears that this erroneous section was included during the re-editing and addition of new parts for the year 2025. The Secretary stated that this problematic website name could only be identified by someone with technical knowledge, and it was detected during random checks conducted before the final printing. He assured that there would be no attempt to conceal the error and that immediate steps would be taken to correct the defects in these modules, which have been used for teacher training since last August.

The controversial website "Buddy.net" has been identified as a unique social networking platform operating online. It is primarily designed to target gay men, with its main objective being to connect individuals with diverse interests and lifestyles. It functions as an open digital space providing users with facilities to exchange ideas and meet new friends, and unlike other social networks, its creators have worked to provide a free user experience without intrusive advertisements. It allows users to share photos and videos and find information about various social events and gatherings happening around them. This website, restricted to individuals over 18 years of age, can also be used as a mobile application, and it is clear that this is by no means a website that can be recommended for schoolchildren.

However, experts commenting on this incident via social media point out that the school textbook might have intended to refer to the messaging service "ebuddy.net". Ebuddy.net was a service used in the past for instant messaging, whereas Buddy.net, as mentioned above, is a platform used for dating purposes. Although the context in the book suggests that a messaging service was intended, it is speculated that due to a typing error or severe negligence, the 'e' was omitted, leading to the printing of this website name with a serious implication. Even if this was merely an oversight, public opinion holds that a higher level of responsibility than usual should be exercised when preparing school textbooks, as what a child learns at a young age profoundly impacts their life. On the other hand, various parties are also questioning the effectiveness of teaching modern children outdated technological tools like "ebuddy.net", which are not widely used today.

Meanwhile, former Member of Parliament Wimal Weerawansa has severely criticized the government's education reform program, citing this incident. He points out that this is not merely an oversight but part of a broader program to destroy the country's culture and the future of its children. The MP commented with strong emotion, stating, "You can have any 'buddy' you want, we won't say anything about that. But don't find gay 'buddies' for our children." He accuses that while pressing needs like expanding university access for A/L qualified students are set aside, reforms are being implemented under the guise of reducing burden, which are destroying the cultural foundation of children. He further alleged that reducing the weight of school bags does not mean removing the cultural burden on a child's mind, and that attempts are being made to turn the country into a 'Haiti' by introducing models rejected even by Western countries into the minds of Sri Lankan children.

Mr. Weerawansa, directing his criticism at current President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, stated that the President, using his executive powers, has given the position of Minister of Education to someone loyal to him and capable of implementing his policies. He said that the secular and culturally contradictory reforms introduced by Ms. Harini Amarasuriya as the Minister of Education have become a death trap for children. The MP argued that introducing such inappropriate websites as examples for schoolchildren to form friendships is not a coincidence, but part of their political agenda. He pointed out that the government acted faster to block this website than to respond to disaster warnings, implying that this constitutes an admission of their fault.

The Ministry of Education's attempt to portray this as a conspiracy by another party also drew strong sarcasm from Mr. Wimal Weerawansa. He stated, "They're playing the innocent baby part, saying someone else soiled their loincloth. It's not others who soil their loincloths," implying that this series of events reveals the true objectives hidden within the National People's Power's election manifesto concept of "A Prosperous Country, A Beautiful Life." The MP further mentioned that although these points were not included in the leaflets distributed door-to-door during the election campaign, they were present in their policy statement, which only a small number of people read. Nevertheless, this incident has sparked a broad social discourse on the reforms taking place in the country's education sector and the quality of the school textbook compilation process.