— Reading key to development – Mwelwa

Reading key to development – Mwelwa

Serenje , August 4^th, 2014, ZANIS —-   Government says reading is the key to academic, social and economic progress for children and the country as whole.

 

Serenje District Commissioner Charles Mwelwa says a nation whose people cannot read and write is a poor country.

 

Mr. Mwelwa says this is because development depends on the transfer of knowledge through reading.

 

He lamented that Zambia is one of the countries in the regions with a high number school going children who unable to read comprehensively.

 

The District commissioner said study in his District shows that most school going children in the area has poor reading culture.

 

ZANIS reports that Mr. Mwelwa said this in a speech read on his behalf by Serenje District Administrative Officer (DAO) Fredrick Lubasi, yesterday.

 

This was at the launch of the Serenje District ‘Lets read Zambia’ Mobilisation Campaign held at Serenje Boma Secondary School,

 

The launch of the programme in the district is aimed at promoting reading and the involvement of all sectors of society in issues of early grade reading.

 

He said government through relevant stakeholders seeks to increase literacy levels in the area because it is a vital tool for economic emancipation.

 

He acknowledged the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education’s partnership with USAID and ‘Time to Learn’ for the support rendered in realising the Campaign.

 

And Serenje District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) Dominic Hakanene says that Serenje District will fully embrace the read Zambia initiative.

 

Mr. Hakanene said this is aimed to improve learner performance through inculcating a reading culture not only in school going children but in the adult population as well.

 

Lack of support for literacy instruction, Community participation and the use of English as in early stages of education government to put in place a National Literacy Framework to create an enabling environment for learner achievement in literacy, he said.