Reading seen as part of history

National

Reading plays a major role in sustaining the history of the nation, Kopkop School principal Sivalinga Guruprasad says.
“Reading and education are important in passing down the cultures and traditions of this nation, especially in the rapid-changing, westernised society Papua New Guinea is becoming,” Guruprasad said
He said some languages and cultures had vanished and only through reading could they be kept alive.
“l doubt we have 800 languages, it is only said on paper. That is why National Book Week is an important tool that urges students, and the nation as a whole, to read more, and know more about our country’s past and present status,” he said.
Guruprasad said students’ reading habits in schools were very poor, and when students went to tertiary institutions, they did less reading.
“Schools say they want to create leaders, but we stand no choice to create leaders if we do not motivate them to read,” he said.
“They have to learn how to acquire knowledge and that only comes from reading.
“Now the internet has come, students’ interest in physical books are slowly fading while not understanding the wealth of information provided in  written books.
“So it is important we promote a combination of technologically processed books and the traditional physical books.”
The Kopkop College opened the National Book Week yesterday with planned programmes for students to participate in a week-long reading atmosphere.
The programme involves students  reading in and out of classrooms. This includes reading performances and items in the school hall during lunch hour.
Gurupasad said: “This is initiated for the whole school to see what their colleges were capable of in terms of reading.
“The primary classes start off most of the reading programmes on Monday, and on Wednesday the reading stage will be taken on by the secondary school students.”