Archives

by Dushyanthi Daniel

Access to information and knowledge is considered a fundamental right to each and every child in the world. However, it is heart-rending to realize that so many children around the world are unable to read or write in this information age.

Speech and language skills are essential for learning and these skills have to be developed in children from a very early age. Children unable to read and write will not grow to form a healthy society to build up a nation. The lack of reading and writing ability among school children is also one of the reasons for them to drop out of school at an early age.

Books are the basic tools which can be given to children to develop their speech and language skills. Reading of suitable books should be encouraged in homes, pre-schools and schools and children should receive joy and fun in reading.

Many international organizations have realized the importance of literacy and organizations such as UNESCO, Asian Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU), International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) are doing much ground work in developing reading habits among school children and young adults and in making reading fun and enjoyable to them. So many national organizations in different countries too are actively organizing and participating in reading promotion activities among children, as this is a problem faced in almost all the countries.

The National Library and Documentation Services Board (NLDSB) is one of the institutions which is committed to develop reading habit among school children in Sri Lanka. Every year, a number of activities are organized by the NLDSB to promote independent reading which is a necessary aspect of literacy development among school children.

World Book Day, International Book and Copyright Day, International Children's Book Day and Literacy Month are some of the events that are celebrated by the NLDSB, with the participation of school children, academics, librarians, authors, publishers and book sellers.

This year too, the NLDSB has organized yet another program in this series. It has identified a number of schools and have organized to visit the school children in these schools regarding reading skills and how to make reading enjoyable and fun. This project has been started with C. W. W. Kannangara Vidyalaya, Borella, Dudley Senanayake Vidyalaya, Narahenpitiya, Pamankade Tamil Vidyalaya, Pamankade and Darus Salam Muslim Vidyalaya, Maligawatte.

These schools will be visited during the third week of February and eventually this program would be extended to the remote, much under-developed schools in other parts of the country. Schools have been identified in the areas of Vanathamulla, Maligakanda, Kotahena, Mattakuliya, Wellampitiya, Kotikawatte, Grandpass, Kottawa, Pannipitiya, Ratmalana and Nugegoda for the initial phase.

Organizing Book exhibition and Sale at the National Library is an annual event and this time too a book exhibition and sale will be organized in view of promoting reading habit among the people. The exhibition was declared open by the Minister of Human Resources Development, Education and Cultural Affairs Dr. Karunasena Kodituwakku on February 26, at the National Library and Documentation Centre. It will be open to the public from 11.00 a.m. from 26 till March 3, 2002. The Minister also inaugurated the National Library Web Server on that day.

Special posters and hand bills too have been printed and sent to schools and public libraries regarding promotion and the forthcoming book exhibition.

The National Library is striving to raise up a literate nation thereby develop the living status of each citizen in this country.

The NLDSB is also actively involved in training school and public librarians in professional activities so that they could render their services efficiently to promote reading habits among school children and the public.

These training programs are conducted at the National Library as well as at provincial level. It is noteworthy that the National Library

was playing a crucial role in implementing the World Bank sponsored General Education Project - 2 under which one component is school library development. The Government has now declared the National School Library Policy to the nation and a special unit in the Ministry of Education namely the School Library Development Unit (SLDU) has been set up recently to develop the school libraries.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager