Government has underscored the role that reading plays in the success of any academician.
Luapula Province Minister Brigadier General Benson Kapaya says since currently the province’s academic performance is low, there is need to encourage all academicians in the area to step up reading for improved results in schools.
The provincial Minster says to achieve this, there is need to support interventions aimed at improving reading skills such as setting up reading shelters in schools.
ZANIS reports that the provincial Minister said this in speech read for him by Luapula Province Assistant Secretary Joshua Kamanya at the launch of the, Lets Read Zambia Campaign at Don Bosco in Mansa yesterday.
He said Zambia has launched a two career path way curriculum of academic and vocational adding that for one to excel in any of the two careers they should have reading skills.
He said Luapula Province has a reading target of over 187, 000 readers from grade one to four by 2016 and called on stakeholder to come on board if the target is to be achieved.
The minister however noted that reading is good practice that should not be left to academician alone but to every individual and adults through adult literacy.
He commended cooperating partners like Step up Zambia and read to Succeed for coming on board to support the reading in the country.
And earlier Luapula Acting Provincial Education Officer Smith Bweupe bemoaned the bad reading culture in the province.
Mr Bweupe has since called on people to utilize the available libraries and improve their reading habits.
He said it sad that despite free libraries like National Library Service in Mansa being available very few people go to read.
He appealed to parents to encourage their children get into the habit of reading saying the benefits of reading are there for all to see.
Indeed, my people need to up their reading habits. School is cool, so is reading.
This may sound like a joke but it could on a serious note have something to do with the high levels of cassava consumption and iodine deficiency. Most of the effect could be happening in-utero.
I thought Luapula records ones of the highest pass rates at grade 7 and 9
You have just stolen my contribution. Last year’s G9 and G12 ranked Luapula up there with the best. Hope this will translate into higher literacy levels on the long run. But wait, those who excel will go to UNZA, CBU and other mushrooming varsities, then those who never even stepped foot in classroom or dropped out are more likely to remain in the Province as peasant farmers or Kaponyas (no offence intended), hence increasing those illiteracy levels. What we need is to compel parents to send their kids to school and a deliberate policy put in place to ensure pupils don’t drop out of schools. We also need good infrastructure and hosuing for our teachers in rural schools
What do you expect from short people who sh.it in the water? That is why they support poko faram despite their absolute failure to govern the country.
How can we improve reading levels without reading materials.. mad minister with no brain at all. RTS ( READ TO SUCCEED) has been operating here in W/ province for two years now but not even 1 single learning material has provided.
This problem of poor reading is country wide the encouragements should go to everybody in our country Zambia it’s really sad to see few people with newspaper ,
magazine or a book in their hands.