Gulf parents urged to discipline children and buy them books

GULF education adviser Gabriel Opa has challenged parents to buy books as gifts for their children and discipline them to read.
Opa was speaking during the launching of National Book Week by Education Minister Nick Kuman in Kerema on Monday.
The Gulf education unit had allocated funds for the celebration of National Book Week in Kerema last week.
He said buying toys, mobile phones and other gift items for children and young people were not helpful to their learning and development.
“If you as a parent are thinking of buying gifts for your children, buy reading books as gifts for them and encourage them to read books,” Opa said.
“If they do not read books, you have the responsibility as parent to discipline your children to read.
“Go to the extreme of forcing them to read books even if they do not want to read.
“You are disciplining them for their own good and future.”
Opa said the level of literacy in Gulf and Papua New Guinea as a whole was very low.
“The level of literacy in Gulf and Papua New Guinea is very low because most young people nowadays do not read books.
“Reading is very important to the learning process.
“It is about time parents take responsibility and buy books as gifts for your children.
“Encourage them to read at an early age so they can develop the habit of reading books.”