Students donate reading materials to schools
By 29/06/2011 00:00:00
As part of efforts to promote reading and writing culture among students in Nigeria, pupils of the Hillside School have donated the sum of N25, 000 to provide books and educational materials to public schools in the Federal Capital Territory.
The grant was presented after launch of a 100 Book Challenge Scheme at the school. Coordinator of the Reading Aid Writing (RAW) Initiative, Ms. Gillian Parker disclosed that the programmewa was aimed at promoting an effective reading and writing culture among students.
Parker, who acknowledged the grant, noted that the donation would be used to provide books for public schools that lack educational resources.
Speaking on why Hillside School joined the campaign, the proprietor of the school, Catherine Rotello said that continuous reading promotes good knowledge and makes a student a better person to self and the society. She regretted that people have failed to identify reading culture as an index capable of transforming the country’s dilapidating education sector.
Rotello, who described Nigerian reading culture as bad, noted that there is need to advocate more on the significance of reading and make books available for pupils, particularly those in public schools who could not afford to own a library.
She said: "Nigeria, generally, is not into reading and that is a very sad thing. I like my school to be richly involved with reading more because the more you read the more knowledgeable you become. Aside that it makes you better student. I will like all the pupils to go to the university someday, make a better world and promote education in the country. Nigeria is like a diamond that needs to be polished in terms of education."
She however traced most pupils’ poor reading culture to the fact that students prefer to play more of video games and watch television to spending more time to study.
The Chairman, Editorial Board of Leadership Newspapers, Dr. Fatima Akilu who harped on the need to improve reading culture in the country lamented that the educational standard has reduced drastically.
Dr. Akilu said government has failed in its duty to integrate the education sector by providing public libraries, infrastructure and other educational resources particularly in public schools to make learning easier. "It is not only reading that has declined in Nigeria but the education sector. Libraries have collapsed and children don’t even have access to books. There are no public libraries and bookshops like before. In fact, unavailability of books has contributed adversely to the poor reading culture. So, government has roles to play.
"We were worried that this generation of Nigerian children was not reading any more. In a household where both parents are working and there is no time for interaction, kids at home are glued to the television instead of reading. We want to reverse the trend and get kids reading again. I believe that there is no great nation that does not have readers; all great nations start with great readers," she said.
Dr. Akilu noted that the scheme is aimed to promote reading culture among pupils as well as encourage pupils to read minimum of 100 books in a year.
While reading eight of her children’s books to the pupils, Dr. Akilu disclosed that each book was aimed at teaching pupils about each of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The goals includes: eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women.
Others are reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership.
Akilu said: "It is necessary to write books that identify pupils with their culture because they make them imagine and apply knowledge acquired to everyday activity in their environments, particularly in schools."
She however urged indigenous authors to make their books accessible.
As part of efforts to promote reading and writing culture among students in Nigeria, pupils of the Hillside School have donated the sum of N25, 000 to provide books and educational materials to public schools in the Federal Capital Territory.
The grant was presented after launch of a 100 Book Challenge Scheme at the school. Coordinator of the Reading Aid Writing (RAW) Initiative, Ms. Gillian Parker disclosed that the programmewa was aimed at promoting an effective reading and writing culture among students.
Parker, who acknowledged the grant, noted that the donation would be used to provide books for public schools that lack educational resources.
Speaking on why Hillside School joined the campaign, the proprietor of the school, Catherine Rotello said that continuous reading promotes good knowledge and makes a student a better person to self and the society. She regretted that people have failed to identify reading culture as an index capable of transforming the country’s dilapidating education sector.
Rotello, who described Nigerian reading culture as bad, noted that there is need to advocate more on the significance of reading and make books available for pupils, particularly those in public schools who could not afford to own a library.
She said: "Nigeria, generally, is not into reading and that is a very sad thing. I like my school to be richly involved with reading more because the more you read the more knowledgeable you become. Aside that it makes you better student. I will like all the pupils to go to the university someday, make a better world and promote education in the country. Nigeria is like a diamond that needs to be polished in terms of education."
She however traced most pupils’ poor reading culture to the fact that students prefer to play more of video games and watch television to spending more time to study.
The Chairman, Editorial Board of Leadership Newspapers, Dr. Fatima Akilu who harped on the need to improve reading culture in the country lamented that the educational standard has reduced drastically.
Dr. Akilu said government has failed in its duty to integrate the education sector by providing public libraries, infrastructure and other educational resources particularly in public schools to make learning easier. "It is not only reading that has declined in Nigeria but the education sector. Libraries have collapsed and children don’t even have access to books. There are no public libraries and bookshops like before. In fact, unavailability of books has contributed adversely to the poor reading culture. So, government has roles to play.
"We were worried that this generation of Nigerian children was not reading any more. In a household where both parents are working and there is no time for interaction, kids at home are glued to the television instead of reading. We want to reverse the trend and get kids reading again. I believe that there is no great nation that does not have readers; all great nations start with great readers," she said.
Dr. Akilu noted that the scheme is aimed to promote reading culture among pupils as well as encourage pupils to read minimum of 100 books in a year.
While reading eight of her children’s books to the pupils, Dr. Akilu disclosed that each book was aimed at teaching pupils about each of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The goals includes: eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women.
Others are reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership.
Akilu said: "It is necessary to write books that identify pupils with their culture because they make them imagine and apply knowledge acquired to everyday activity in their environments, particularly in schools."
She however urged indigenous authors to make their books accessible.
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