Students’ lackadaisical attitude towards
reading has become a major source of worry not only to parents but people in
academia.
With the advancement of ICT, there has been a total revolution in the
reading habit of students especially those at the basic and senior high school
levels.
As a remedial step to check the unfortunate turn of event, schools have
been challenged to institute or design award schemes to encourage proper
reading habits in students.
Mrs Rosemary Akolaa, an old student of the Navrongo
Senior High School, popularly known as ‘NAVASCO’ gave the advice when she led
the 1992 ‘A’ Level year group to donate assorted books to their alma mater.
Background
Available statistics put Ghana’s illiteracy
rate to 43.3 percent, an indication that majority of Ghanaians particularly the
rural folks were incapable of reading and writing.
Most intellectuals are of
the view that the advent of information
technology has revolutionized the reading habits of young people especially
students at the second cycle schools.
For them, the use of communication
gadgets particularly mobile phones have greatly accounted for this unfortunate
turn of event.
An old student of the Navrongo Senior High School, Mrs Rosemary
Akolaa who doubles as the Director of the Indigenous Women Against Hunger and
Poverty, IWAH for short, shares in this thought and has described the situation
as worrisome.
She blamed students’ lackadaisical attitude to reading on the
rate at which they applied themselves to modern technology at the expense of
their books.
This, she bewailed had reduced their interest in the reading of
novels and other printed materials.
Mrs Akolaa who led the 1992 ‘A’ level year
group to donate assorted reading materials to her alma mater said from the
foregoing, schools can design motivational
schemes to award students that excel in academics especially in the area
of reading.
This, according to her, could serve as a recipe to whip up their
interest in reading while broadening their knowledge scope.
On the rationale
for the gesture, Mrs Akolaa said the presentation was in appreciation for the
exceptional academic training they had from the school during their days.
According
to her, the school has produced a
number of eminent personalities who are found in all fields of
endeavors, be it
academia or politics through learning.
Therefore giving back to the
school was
a step in the right direction. Mrs Akolaa later disclosed plans to
extend
further assistance to the school when the need arises.
The Assistant
Headmaster
Administration, Mr Robert Kanpusi, who received the books on behalf of
the
headmistress advised the students to make judicious use of the books to
enhance
the knowledge base.
Accompanied by Mrs Rosemary Akolaa was a member of
the 1992 year group and the Executive Director of Trade Aid, Nicholas
Apokera. Also present was the CEO of Iconz Media Consult, Anthony Adama.
GBC
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