Schools Urged To Encourage Reading
By P Marilyn

Bandar Seri Begawan - All schools need to create a conducive reading environment to generate interest in reading among students through each school's reading committee.

This is because studies have shown that competency in reading brings about a positive bearing on the development of language capabilities in general, the Minister of Education said.

Competency in reading and writing are the basic needs in all fields of education, including mathematics and science: Such capability will contribute to increasing the performance of students in all subject areas, said Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Lela Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Abdul Rahman during the launching of the Reading Carnival yesterday held at Sekolah Menengah Masin.

Literacy allows different opinions and views, cooperation, communication as well as the execution of business dealings in the international field.

He added, "Reading not only opens up the mind but it also brings about the expansion of the mind. It allows readers to share the writer's experience and expands our imagination." Literacy, he said, can contribute to the success of students. It is also important to have the ability to read, understand and analyse writings in the form of "multimedia" obtained through Information Communication Technology (ICT).

As a result, the teachers need to implement a different teaching strategy, apart from using the conventional textbooks. ICT, he said, played an important role and is a major factor for students and teachers in obtaining useful information. ICT can be used to promote and encourage reading amongst students. In order to optimise the frill use of ICT and as a major source of information, emphasis is placed on the fluency of the English language.

English, the minister added, is an international language that is widely used on the Internet. The Ministry of Education plays a role in ensuring that students can articulate themselves in English to reap the benefits of ICT.

In the efforts to develop a high level of literacy, the country needs to strengthen the youths to face future challenges by equipping them with the realistic ability to read and write to fulfill the linguistic needs of today.

"We should ensure that there is a close relationship between what is being taught in school and what is happening in the world. What is needed now is to strengthen all the initiatives and create development so that our students are not left behind in the regional and international level.

"With that in mind, we want to see all significant parties, namely, schools, teachers, parents, government departments and other non-government organisations, play an active role in supporting the efforts to instill the reading habit amongst students," the minister said. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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