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Promoting a reading culture

- 2022-10-11 00:00:00

The ministry of education, arts and culture officially launched the national readathon week recently under the theme ‘Read Namibia: Understand the impacts of climate change on key economic sectors and livelihoods in Namibia’.
The readathon is organised by the directorate of Namibia Library and Archives Services (NLAS), with the purpose of strengthening the country’s reading culture, increasing the usage of reading materials from various school libraries as well as educating learners about ongoing climate change.
The ministry’s deputy executive director Gerard Vries delivered the keynote address.
In September, all reading activities learners are involved in throughout the year are celebrated, and the ministry, through the NLAS, yearly observes the last Friday of that month as a readathon day.
This year’s theme has been carefully picked to enlighten learners about climate change, its impacts on key economic sectors - agriculture, fisheries, tourism, health, energy - and livelihoods in Namibia, and how it can best be mitigated.
“In reaction to the impact of climate change, we persuade all learners, teachers, parents and every other person to read particularly about ways to reduce climate change.”
Vries also called for institutions and community members to add to government’s efforts, as a member of the Paris agreement, which entered into force on 4 November 2016 and aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping the global temperature rise this century well below two degrees Celsius.
The readathon curriculum is based on developing children’s ability to successfully decode and build fluency, while enjoying being read to regularly at home and at school to fully appreciate the magic of books and expand their knowledge, which ultimately impacts their reading comprehension.
From this, they gain pleasure, interest and enjoyment, which motivates them to read more.
Readathon is a week of reading arrangement, where children and young people in schools pledge to read various quantities and different types of reading materials accompanied by games, dramas and plays.
“To appreciate the ministry’s determination to improve core numeracy and literacy skills as one of its key strategic objectives, this can only become a success when teachers and librarians are working diligently to ensure that learners are provided with relevant sufficient reading materials, and engage them in reading activities at least four times a week.”
Vries added that the driver of the Readathon Week is mainly to pervade learners with appreciation, understanding and love for reading and usage of languages in their daily lives.
“The readathon is expected to be observed in every corner of our country - be it at schools, communities, organisations, individuals, government institutions, social partners and civil society,” he said.
As the world’s economy becomes increasingly knowledge-based and integrated with the use of information and communications technologies, the need for computer literacy among the young has become a priority.
“I strongly encourage learners to also make use of online reading resources such as the Namibia Reads application that was accorded a further extension for three years, from April 2022 to March 2025, which is freely available to all Namibian residents with access to internet connectivity.”