Reading Set To Enliven School Time

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MALAPPURAM: Reading is making a forceful entry into the school curriculum with the Education Department gearing up to go ahead with the next phase of the ‘school library popularisation programme’.

While ensuring quality education to students, the new curriculum also aims at helping them find one’s own educational goals and pursue it. Reading has been found playing a crucial role in empowering students to identify their dreams and going in search of it.

The comprehensive project of the State Education Department, ‘Vayanayiloode Valaruka’ (read and grow), which is already right on track in the district, is a positive move in this direction.

The project mainly aimed at the renovation of school libraries and popularisation of reading among students, will be implemented in all the government and aided UP and high schools in the state.

As many as 30 lakh students across 2393 high schools and 2827 UP schools in the state will benefit from the project in the first phase. This also will be expanded to the LP levels later.

For the first time in the state a ‘library hour’ will be introduced to the school time table as part of the project. The project is envisaged to be implemented with the complete support of various institutes and organisations like local bodies, voluntary organisations, clubs, PTAs, financial organisations, library councils, media organisations, public sector enterprises, cooperative units and business enterprises in the state.

The initial ground works for the project was started in July 2005. The progress of the new drive was monitored by a state-level steering committee with the education minister as the chairman.

School, panchayat, block and district level committees have been formulated for the proper implementation of the project.

One week every year - from November 21 to 26 - will be observed as ‘Vayana Varam’ in the district as part of the project.

Different programmes to strengthen the reading habit of students including reading competitions, readers’ gathering, training in reading and book keeping lessons for teachers at the schools.

The library renovation committee formulated as part of the project has launched a resources accumulation drive from December 1 to 10.

Resources including books, shelves and sponsorship for library building will be collected by the members of this committee from across the district.

Source: http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IER20051203020436&Topic=0&Title=Kerala&Page=R