CULLED FROM http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/aina-ogungbeni-adigun-ogundipe.htm
The
acquisition of reading skills has a beneficial effect on all school
subjects,
including social studies, science, mathematics, and so on. Poor reading
skill
can make a child develop a poor attitude toward school and can create
self-esteem problems later in life (Fosudo, 2010).
Oke (1996) gives reasons why people read, including
self-improvement, pleasure and relaxation, and a feeling of pride and
prestige. According to Antwi (1985), studies show
a relationship between reading/early literacy and a child’s
emotional, mental health, and social behaviour. According to him, a
study done in the US showed that reading
was correlated with delinquency, independent of neighborhood,
ethnicity, and family involvement, and was the same in both ethnic
groups sampled and constant over the age range studied. The
degree
of seriousness of delinquent act was directly correlated to the degree
of severity of reading problems. The study also
showed that early in the primary grades, children who are struggling
with literacy begin to experience failure and related negative effects
in interpersonal skills. These effects can include
task-avoidance and acting out, lowered levels of
personal regard, and seeking of personal validation in venues that are
anti-social.
In
Nigeria, a study carried out by Henry (2004), reveals that 40 percent
of adult
Nigerians never read a non-fiction book from cover to cover after they
finish
school. The average Nigerian reads less than one book per year, and
only one
percent of successful men and women in Nigeria read one non-fiction
book per
month. The same study showed that 30 million Nigerians have graduated
from high
school with poor reading skills. Some Nigerians may not read because
they are
not working in the right field(s). If regular reading and studying is a
required condition of your job or profession, this in effect means you
read, even
if it is under duress. The magnitude of this problem jeopardizes the
future of
our public schools. What is most frustrating is that much of this
reading
problem can be prevented if government, libraries, and teachers apply
what is
known as reading instruction or techniques. The vast majority of the
world’s
information today is not digitized; it is in print form, mostly in
books.
Reading per se among young adults is not exactly on the wane, but the
delivery
mechanism has changed. Communications with words is thriving, but in a
new
format, reading online (Okebukola, 2004). For many years, especially in
the
West, there have been doubts whether the written medium of narration
would
survive the onslaught of technology. Will children and adults who spend
most of
their time in front of a television or computer continue to read books?
Similar
fears were expressed at the end of the 19th century with the emergence
of films
and cartoons. Books survived that era and maintained their position as
a
parallel “technology”. Topo (2005) affirms that the need today is the
thoughtful integration of book reading with high tech, i.e., the
integration of
multi-media activities such as photography, printing and drawing,
sewing and
crafts, 3-D and digital art, hip-hop, claymation, and online services
in our
libraries. This will reverse the decline in book reading among children
and
adults. Oke (1996) affirms also that a conscious effort should be made
by all
stakeholders in the educational system to promote the reading habit.
According
to him, equipping libraries is the first practical step in these
efforts.
Poor Reading Culture
The way of life of a nation is influenced by the
percentage of its citizen
who are literate. Cuba, for example, is adjacent to the US and has the
highest
rate of literacy in the world. This is among the reasons why Cuba has a
vibrant
economy despite decades of diplomatic conflicts with the strongest
nation in the
world (Henry, 2004). Tracy (2008) asserts that being a former British
colony,
Nigeria’s literacy culture ought to be as standardized as that of the
Britain.
About 99% of British citizens can read and write. The same cannot be
said of
Nigeria. Henry (2004), states that out of the 814 million illiterate
people in
the world, developing countries, especially in Africa, represent a huge
percentage. However, Latin America, Asia, and others are making frantic
efforts
to drastically reduce the illiteracy rate, but owing to the following
reasons,
the same cannot be said of Africa.
Tracy (2008) asserts that being a former British colony,
Nigeria’s literacy culture ought to be as standardized as that of the
Britain. About 99% of British citizen can read and write. The same
cannot be said of Nigeria. Henry (2004), states that out of the 814
million illiterates in the world, the third world countries, most
especially in Africa, have a huge percentage of these illiterates.
However, Latin America, Asia, and others are making frantic efforts to
drastically reduce illiteracy rate, but owing to the following reasons,
the same cannot be said of Africa.
Poverty:
In
sub-Saharan Africa, the impact of poverty is deeply felt. Only a few
people live
above the poverty line. About 80% of Africans live under hazardous
conditions.
The per capita income of an average citizen in Nigeria, “the giant of
Africa”
with its abundant natural resources, is two dollars. This, in no little
measure, affects the reading habits of Nigerians. Many are too poor to
send
their children to school. They lack money to buy books and pay school
fees.
Corruption:
Corruption has a
profound effect in Nigeria. The government is trying to fight
corruption, which
has drastically affected Nigerians reading culture. Corruption is
present
everywhere in Nigeria, from government institutions to private
organizations.
In schools, for instance, many students prefer to indulge in immoral
acts
rather than face their studies diligently. Situations like trading sex
for grades,
sales of ungraded textbooks to students at high fees, using money to
buy
examination grades, and cheating in examinations abound in our
institutions of higher
learning. Those who engage in these infamous acts consider reading a
waste of
time.
Noise culture: A learning environment
requires places for
quiet study. Most schools are in densely populated areas, where
distractions
prevent the smooth flow of learning. Moreover, the “illiteracy
syndrome” has an
adverse effect on the psyche of many Nigerian citizens. Most people
perceive
noise to be an integral part of their culture.
Undue
importance attached to wealth: Many
Nigerian people celebrate mediocrity at the expense of intellectuals.
This is
manifest in our rush for material things. Some people abandon their
educational
careers for the pursuit of money. Many have abandoned their education
in search
of “quick money,” which they believe can be gotten in business or
politics.
Many people run away from the village schools to take up jobs in Lagos.
Lack of reading language: In many
homes, the language of reading is introduced late; the first contact
point of some children with this language is in school. As children
grow
older, reading and its associated activities become herculean.
Dearth of libraries: libraries
play an important role in the promotion of reading habits. However,
these
libraries (school and public) are either non-existant or not playing
their
expected role. State and local government, and proprietors of schools
(government and individuals) have not complied with library provisions
in the
National Policy on Education (NPE). Public libraries are not being
established where
they are needed. The few existing public libraries are neither
adequately funded
nor stocked with reading resources that can affect the lives of
citizens.
Role of the Library in Reading Culture
The need to promote effective reading habits among the
general populace of Nigeria has been receiving attention from
organizations such as the National Library of Nigeria, the Reading
Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Book Development Council. Since
1981, the National Library of Nigeria has been sponsoring the
readership promotion campaign in the country. This is done as part of
the strategies to ginger up the reading culture in Nigeria. The
objectives of the readership campaign includes:-
(i) To encourage more reading Nigerians
(ii) To promote the increase in production of reading
materials in Nigeria, both in quality and variety and
(iii) To identify the major obstacles those inhibits
reading in the country and find ways of eliminating them.
The problem with the above objectives is that the
readership promotion campaign has been restricted largely to Abuja,
Lagos, and some few state capitals. The impact has not really been felt
in other parts of the country because the National library has not been
adequately funded to put the campaign in prints or electronic media.
The above observation notwithstanding, the library can
play an important role in the promotion of reading habits
among Nigerians. Libraries, especially school libraries, are
fundamental to the design, implementation, and attainment of
educational excellence. Libraries are an integral part of the
educational development of school children and youth. Without the
support of efficient libraries, schools cannot
successfully achieve the goals of education, which are:
- The inculcation of national consciousness and
national
unity;
- The inculcation of the right type of values and
attitudes of the individual and the Nigerian society;
- The training of the mind in the understanding of the
world around, and
- The acquisition of appropriate skills and social
abilities and competence as equipment for the individual to live and
contribute to the development of the society. (NPE, 2004).
Libraries provide access to reading materials through
which school children and youths
can gain and improve their skills. Libraries help introduce the use of
reading for information, pleasure, passing examinations, and personal
growth through lifelong learning. Libraries
provide materials that offer more extensive and varied information than
classroom study alone. Voluntary reading helps develop reading skills
and mastery of language, extends students knowledge, and assists them
in
their academic work. Students and youths who read are
likely to have background knowledge, familiarity with new
topics
or subjects, and thus, find learning easier and
interesting.
In Nigeria, literacy is recognized as a basic tool for
personal and national development. The National Policy on Education
(2004), places inculcation of permanent literacy and numeracy, and
ability to communicate effectively as one of the objectives of school
education. The library must provide resources to complement
education. These resources can take children and youth far
above technical literacy to developing reading culture which makes
permanent literacy attainable.
The role of the libraries in promoting reading is
especially crucial in developing scientific, reflective thinking and
creativity.
Librarians can help children and youths develop critical and
independent thinking through their exposure to a wide
variety of instructional resources and learning opportunities. Apart
from the development of creative and critical
thought, the role of the library in the promotion of reading culture
can be seen in the readers’ development of values, attitudes, and
appreciation. These are difficult to teach in the classrooms.
In the process of encouraging or inculcating
the reading habit in children and youth, stakeholders (parents,
teachers,
schools, librarians and other library staff) should avoid nagging,
bribing, judging, criticizing reading choices, and setting unreasonable
goals.
Promoting Reading Habits
Having considered some of the factors responsible for
poor reading culture in Nigeria, it is pertinent to suggest strategies
that can be adopted to turn the country to a reading nation and her
citizens a reading people. Imbibing the culture of reading can
assist in finding solutions to socio-economic and political
problems.
Improved Funding: Fund is crucial
to the development of education and libraries; it is a sine
qua none of performance. Therefore, the Nigerian government
has to improve its funding of the education sector, by increasing funds
allocated to schools. This would affects provision of school library
services. Funds should be earmarked for establishing, equipping and
maintenance of libraries (public library inclusive). Sufficient fund
should be provided to acquire adequate, current and relevant library
materials – books, magazines, charts, transparencies; photographic
slides, and computer instructional packages. Concerted effort should be
made by the appropriate supervisory body to monitor effective
utilization of funds allocated to the library.
Establishment of libraries: Efforts
must be made by government at different levels to establish more
libraries in their schools and for the private, club, communities,
Religious bodies, organizations (NGOs and CBOs), Old Students
Associations, professional bodies, and individuals should be encouraged
to assist in the promotion of reading by establishing libraries or
supporting already established school and public libraries. This can be
done through stocking libraries with good reading materials that can
impact on the lives of Nigerians. These libraries should also be
provided with professionally qualified personnel to render services to
the users.
Continued provision and access
to books:
provision of a varied
collection of enjoyable and information-rich books is a major
contribution of the library towards reading promotion. Availability and
accessibility of instructional and pleasurable books stimulate
development of reading and attainment of permanent literacy. It has
been found out that school libraries are the principal source of books
for supplementary instructional resources and voluntary reading. It
must, however, be pointed out that many schools do not have libraries
at all. Where they exist, the stock in these libraries is grossly
insufficient to play the expected role.
Associating reading with pleasure: Children and students
can be motivated to read and thus form good
reading habit through storytelling, reading together (shared reading),
formation of reading/book clubs as well as provision of conducive
reading environment devoid of unwarranted noise and distractions.
Storytelling is a basic and enduring form of literacy expression in
Nigerian cultures. Librarians should encourage the integration
of storytelling and the oral literacy tradition with the school
curriculum
especially in primary school. Telling children interesting stories
encourages their attention and focus, develops their listening skills,
and helps stimulate voluntary reading.
Another way of introducing pleasure or fun to reading is
by reading together. Reading together can take place in the classroom,
library, or at home. Parents, school librarians, teachers, and children
can read aloud to themselves at home, in the class or library, getting
to an exciting point in the story book before stopping. The interest
generated will inspire many students to continue the
story on their own. In the course of shared reading, the passage read
aloud can be discussed and a new book can be introduced to the students
before its shared reading commences. The experience of reading and
hearing increases speed; facilitates comprehension, good pronunciation;
develops reading and critical thinking skills. In addition, shared
reading puts confidence in some timid children and encourages them
develop a voluntary reading habit.
Excursions to libraries and exhibitions:
Children/students
in schools where there are no libraries can be taken on excursions to
libraries in other schools or in their locality. They can also be taken
to book exhibitions/fairs. During such visits, children would be
introduced to the library and its resources. They will also be educated
on the importance of books and reading to their education and future
lives.
Encouragement of library usage: Teachers
should encourage maximum use of the library and its resources by giving
pupils/students assignments/projects that would necessitate
frequent visits to the library. Such assignments/projects must be
practical. They may entail reading a novel and summarizing it, or using
the library resources to solve an environmental problem.
Appropriate legislation: It has
earlier been pointed out that the National Policy on EducationNPE
statements on the provision of libraries have not been implemented by
the
stakeholders. Non-implementation stems from the absence of appropriate
legislation to back up these statements. It is, therefore, been
suggested that appropriate legislation be enacted to enforce compliance
with the policy statements. Such
legislation should stipulate stiffer penalties such as closure of
school(s), for non-compliance with the policy statements.
Resuscitation of mobile library services: Promotion
of reading habits should not be confined to students in the classroom
or the physical library alone. Rather, consideration and extension of
library services should be given to children and youth who, for one
reason or another, are out of the normal school or library environment.
This can be done through mobile library service, a formidable service
provided by the public library. In the 1970s, Nigerian populace in the
rural areas – farmers, nomadic fishermen, and cattle rearers, used to
enjoy this service. Regrettably, since the 1980s, this important
library service has become moribund.
To attain the objective of the universal basic education
as well as carry out the goals contained in the NPE, states and local
governments in Nigeria must revive the
mobile library service. Once revived, the library would carry reading,
vocational, and instructional materials to remote communities. The
library would be able to serve the needs of school
children, dropouts, adult illiterates, semi-literates, nomadic
fishermen and cattle rearers, and other categories of people who wish
to be associated with reading and education.
Conclusion
Education is a continuous process. It can be acquired
formally through attendance at schools, workshops, seminars, or other
forms of training. Traveling has been recognized as an important form
of
education. People can become educated by traveling to lands far away
from them through leisure reading and thereby learn about other people,
culture, and environment.
A reading nation is an informed nation. Nigeria can not
be regarded as a reading nation because the younger generation of
Nigerians does not consider reading a leisure activity. The poor
reading habits
of these younger Nigerians affect their performances at school and
during examinations. Children/students with poor reading habits may
engage in anti-social behaviours such as school violence, bullying, and
examination malpractice.
To redress this anomaly, several organizations
and institutions, including the library, have taken steps to encourage
and
promote the reading habit among Nigerians. Library been the nerve
centre of
any academic institution, is charged with the responsibility of
acquiring and providing access to a variety of instructional and
information-rich materials in different formats. The library continues
to discharge this responsibility and employ other strategies that can
promote reading culture. Other stakeholders - government at different
level, communities, organizations, parents and individual proprietors
have their roles to play. All hands joined together, would lift Nigeria
from her present state to becoming a nation consisting of people with
very high reading culture.
The habit of reading should begin at an early stage and
should be imbibed throughout one's lifetime. The complementary role of
the library in inculcating and promoting reading habit in Nigerians
should be appreciated. According to Douglas (2008), “The library
becomes increasingly important in the new teaching, for not only does
it supply enactment materials in all areas; it also supply materials at
all levels of difficulties. It stores books, pictures, pamphlets, maps,
films filmstrips, recordings and all other printed media which makes it
a gold mine for each teacher and each pupil.”
