Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya assured Parliament today that Grade 6 students will not be treated unfairly and that the government has not incurred any financial loss in relation to the printing of textbooks and modules.
The Prime Minister, who is also the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, made these remarks while responding to a question raised by the Opposition in Parliament regarding the printing of textbooks and learning modules.
Dr. Amarasuriya explained that from 2020 to 2022, textbook orders were placed manually through order forms distributed to schools, as there was no central database system. During this period, remaining stocks of textbooks in schools and institutions were neither counted nor documented, making it impossible to accurately calculate leftover quantities or their financial value.
She said that from 2023 to 2025, textbook ordering was carried out through a database system, enabling accurate calculations of requirements and remaining stocks. Based on this data, textbooks are printed as needed for sale and for emergency use.
“The procurement process takes into account the time required for printing and distribution. Both the public and private sectors are involved in printing textbooks to meet demand, and distribution is carried out promptly once books are received at warehouses,” the Prime Minister said.
Clarifying concerns over Grade 6 modules, Dr. Amarasuriya noted that textbooks and modules are separate. She said all printed textbooks have already been distributed, while modules were printed only for the first term of Grade 6 in line with proposed education reforms.
“We have not removed all the modules. A new education reform for Grade 6 is planned for 2027, and it has been decided to use the relevant modules accordingly,” she said, adding that decisions have been taken regarding the problematic module without causing any loss to the government.
The Prime Minister further stated that the necessary textbooks for Grade 6 students will be distributed in February and reiterated her commitment to ensuring that no child is disadvantaged by the ongoing reforms.
