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Best birthday gift for a child is a quality book- Chief Minister Wijesinghe

by Kuliyapitiya group correspondent

The best birthday gift for a child is a quality book. That will help to mould the character of the child, Wayamba Chief Minister Athula Wijesinghe said at the opening of the newly built library in Malmillawewa MMV. The North Western Provincial Council had built this library at a cost of Rs. 1.4 million.

The Chief Minister added that children today who were studying to pass examinations and obtain a certificate, were very poor in their general knowledge in respect of arts and literature.

He said the children know only what they study, even the students reading for an arts degree know only what are given in the prescribed text books. If a question on literature was asked they would say that they had not done Sinhalese, but economics or political science.

This situation is still worse in respect of the science and commerce students. Most of the children are of the opinion that the time spent on reading literature is a waste of time.The Chief Minister said the present day children are very reluctant to read books other than those prescribed for their examinations, instead they view films and teledramas on the TV. According to my view the cause for most of the crimes committed in the country is the examples given by the teledramas.

If the children utilise their spare hours for reading literature and books they would be able to eliminate unrest and frustration.

He said there is another factor to be pointed out. That is, most of the books published today are not up to standard. So the children should identify the quality books. Reading substandard books is worse than not reading.

Wayamba Provincial Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Irrigation and Livestock Development Dharmasiri Dasanayake, NW-PC member Somasiri Gunathilaka and Kuliyapitiya Zonal Director of Education C. Dasanayake also spoke.

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