A passage from an English model composition book with details of a murder and suicide has been circulating on Facebook.
In a post on the Facebook group Complaint Singapore, a user shared a picture of a sample composition found in a model composition book for primary five to six students.
The user found the composition "appalling", and said the "publisher needs to be checked as it's clear that he/she may have some loose wirings in the head".
Others in the comment section of the post also expressed their concern about the descriptions in the composition.
The composition was from Model Compositions 5/6 by Alice Mendoza, published by Dolphin Publications in 2008.
The publisher has apologised and said that it has no longer been selling the book for over a decade now, and that its current publications undergo a "rigorous review process" to ensure they are age-appropriate.
Very detailed
In the sample composition, the author wrote about two children who witnessed their neighbour murdering his wife.
The composition describes the two children watching the neighbour chase the wife around a room with a knife, while the wife threw plates and cups at him. The composition then describes the wife being stabbed.
The author goes on to write that after the children called the police, they were watching the police about to arrest the neighbour when the neighbour "struggled" and proceeded to commit suicide.
Photo via Complaint Singapore/Facebook
Out of print for over a decade
In response to Mothership, Dolphin Publications editor Daniel Fong shared that they are aware of the recent Facebook post discussion regarding the composition.
The model composition book was published in 2008.
Fong sincerely apologised "if the graphic content caused any distress" and said that they take all concerns about the content of their publications seriously. He added:
"It's important to clarify that Model Compositions 5/6 has been out of print and no longer available for purchase via any of our official channels for over a decade."
Fong added that Dolphin Publications understands the importance of age-appropriate content, and its current publications undergo a rigorous review process to ensure that those standards are met.
"We are also committed to addressing reader concerns and are always looking for ways to improve our materials."
Top photos via Complaint Singapore/Facebook & Unseen Studio on Unsplash