The District Director of Education for Bongo in the Upper East Region, Ibrahim Mumuni, has said the dwindling interest of school children in reading is attributable to several factors including the inability of parents/guardians to provide the needed guidance to help their children such an interest.
According to the District Director, other reasons for the waning interest in reading are the insufficiency of reading materials in schools for learners and the existence of fewer libraries.
He noted that the waning reading culture adversely affects the quality of education and outcomes at various levels.
Speaking Friday, June 28, 2024, at the Bongo District Reading Festival held at the Gowrie Senior High Technical School, Mr. Mumuni, lamented about parents rather watching unproductive television programs such as telenovelas instead of encouraging them to read.
“Number one is the loss of interest of parents or guardians in their wards towards reading so our kids are close to school today and they no longer read. They are either on the field rearing animals, going to the farm, or watching television, and even what they are watching telenovelas and most of them are not in English.”
He, therefore, believes that the reading festival will help children reignite the culture of reading.
The Reading Festival, a USAID/Ghana Strengthening Accountability in Ghana’s Education System (SAGES) System Strengthening Activity, follows an assessment in 2015 that indicated that only 2% of Primary 2 learners could read. This figure improved in 2022 when a similar exercise established that 38% of Primary 2 learners could read with the remaining 62% being learners who cannot read and understand basic text.
The World Bank in a 2019 report also revealed that 87% of children in Sub-Saharan Africa cannot read and understand simple stories at the age of 10.
Mr. Mumuni who leads education in the Bongo District is, therefore, optimistic that with the Reading Festival, these disturbing statistics can be improved.
He stated further that “the essence of the Reading Festival is to develop reading habits in our learners. Over time, we have observed that reading is waning from our system and it is affecting the quality of education, relative to the outcomes that we want. It will build confidence, and public speaking in the children.” He stressed.
He urged parents not to renege in their responsibilities but to invest time and resources in educating their children.
At the end of the competition, Basic 1 had Gifty Apelingo of South B Circuit and Denicia Akanibire of Dua Circuit emerge as winners. For Basic 2, the Bongo District will be represented at the regional level by Azure Julius and Vicista Aniah all of the Central Circuit.
At the Basic 3 level, Abongo Henshaw of the Central Circuit and Seidu Sharifatu of Dua Circuit emerged winners and will be competing for glory at the regional competition.
