The Central Regional Ghana Education Service has held its maiden reading festival to encourage and stimulate learners’ interest in reading and improve reading performance in public schools in Ghana.
With the support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the nationwide intervention by the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ministry of Education is expected to reach over 5,000 schools across the country.
The reading festival held on Wednesday at the Aggrey Memorial Senior High School in Cape Coast was held on the theme “Learn to read, read to learn” with emphasis on “Boa me ma menkenkan”
“Boa me ma menkenkan was the adopted sub-theme for the central region.
While stressing the importance of the theme, a representative with USAID, Mr. Paul Napari indicated that inculcating the love for reading in children to give them an opportunity to fulfill their dreams is the responsibility of all stakeholders.
To her, the theme ‘learn to read and read to learn is most appropriate, especially at a time when poor reading habits are affecting basic education students in Ghana and across the African continent as a whole.
“The latest evidence on learning and the impact of covid 19 pandemic suggests that the global learning poverty rate in low and middle-income countries has surged by an estimated 70%. Moreover, because these universal foundational skills are essential to the function of individuals and societies, reported widespread learning poverty threatens to undermine the future of these4 children and the economic prospects of their countries. It requires global concerted efforts to address the challenges and disseminate learning for all children.”
The learning poverty rate is measured by the share of children who cannot read and understand a simple text by age 10.
Addressing the learners, teachers, parents, and other relevant stakeholders who graced the occasion, the Deputy Minister of Education, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour underscored the importance of reading to the learner.
“As a matter of fact, to have meaningful learning, you cannot run away from reading. That is why we at the ministry of education are most passionate about promoting reading. When you show me a reading society, I’ll show you a high literate society and I’ll show you a society that will be prosperous.” He said.
He advocated for the correction of the misconception that if you want to hide something from a black man you put it in a book.
To the Central Regional Director of Education, Mrs. Martha Owusu Agyemang she hopes the Central Regional Festival will be sustained considering its impact on learners.
The reading festival
In the Central Region, schools from the region’s 22 districts participated in the maiden edition of the reading festival. Pupils competed in disciplines such as reading in English, Fante, Twi, and Braille, spelling bee in English, Fante and Twi, poetry recitals, charades, role play, and word formation.
The competition included children from KG1 to basic 3 as well as children with special needs from the school for the deaf and blind.
Outstanding boy, Hayford Sam, a class one pupil from Gyinankoma Catholic Basic in the Ekumfi district was first in reading and second in word formation. He was given an award for his school and a tablet which was provided by the Deputy Minister of Education.
The other outstanding student is Jeremine Mensah Eshun from Ekon MA Basic School. She was also given an award for her school and a tablet which was provided by the Deputy Minister of Education.
The Reading festival has been in existence since 2015 and has received public endorsement across the country. It is said to have witnessed a remarkable increase in academic performance and boosted Ghanaian learners’ public speaking.
Source: Rosemond Asmah/ATLFMNEWS
