If you missed my article about the new reading campaign launched by the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage on 14 July, I've reproduced it here, along with all the sidebars. Pay special attention to the Q&A with the Director General of the National Library. It's possibly the funniest interview I've ever done and that's a really, really sad thing ...
We’ve had years of reading campaigns. So it was rather disturbing to learn on Friday, at the launch of yet another campaign, that 98% of 10-yearolds read only two books a year – a number unchanged since a 1996 survey. But things will be different with this new campaign, promises the minister in charge in an exclusive interview with DAPHNE LEE.
READING campaign? What reading campaign?” Julianne Leow, a 20-year-old English Language major at Universiti Malaya, is flabbergasted. She’s unaware that reading campaigns, in the form of the annual National Reading Month, are held in Malaysia on a yearly basis and has certainly heard nothing about the latest campaign.
“I guess the campaigns couldn’t have been very successful since I’ve never even heard of them!” she quips.
Leow doesn’t need campaigns to turn her on to books, being an avid reader who “devours” several books a week, but many Malaysians aren’t as enamoured of reading as she is.
“Most Malaysians are lazy when it comes to reading,” says Leow. “They have this idea that reading is boring and takes a lot of effort. I think that reading is one of the most enjoyable pastimes in the world. It certainly is far better than sprouting roots in front of the television!”
There must be many a mother, reading this article, who wishes her children were more like Leow. A common complaint among parents today is that children prefer the idiot box or computer games to a good book. And Leow is right when she says that people tend to perceive reading as a chore rather than a pleasure.
“It’s all the tuition and homework and extra classes for music and art and dance and so on,” says Inthira Subramaniam, a teacher. “Children just spend so much time studying that there is literally no time to read.
“And if there is, they don’t want to read. They’ve read enough in school. To relax they want to do something else, something easy, like watch television or play football.”
Unlike Leow, Inthira – who teaches at SK Taman Megah in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, is aware of book campaigns – but feels that they do not make much of an impact.
“For a start I don’t think one month is long enough to get anyone to even pay attention to the campaign, let alone start reading.”
Affordable books?
Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim is of the same opinion, which is why his ministry, in partnership with the Education Ministry and the National Library, has decided that this year’s reading campaign will last five years instead of the usual one month.
The campaign’s theme is Bangsa Membaca, Bangsa Berjaya (a nation that reads is a nation that succeeds).
“A month is hardly enough time for a reading campaign to get started. It’s too short a time to see any progress and there is also no time for the public to participate in activities,” says Dr Rais.
He adds that the campaign will last throughout the Ninth Malaysia Plan (2006-2010) and that RM40mil to RM50mil has been allocated for the entire campaign, which works out to RM10mil a year.
“We will target everyone regardless of age and make the campaign a platform for public participation. Reading of all kinds of material will be encouraged – novels, non-fiction works, magazines, newspapers – in any language. It is all equally beneficial.”
Among the ministries’ plans to encourage Malaysians to read will be an effort to make books more affordable.
“We believe people would read more if they could afford to,” says Dr Rais. “Unfor-tunately, books are very expensive. When it comes to imported books, we cannot do anything about the exchange rate, but we must investigate duty issues.
“Also, for books printed locally, we will look at the cost of imported paper, printing machines and other matters in the industry.”
He is unable to pinpoint exactly when Malaysians can look forward to cheaper books.
Rewarding reading
“I hope it’s not just talk,” says Loo Mee Keun who teaches Fourth, Fifth and Six Formers at the Methodist Boys School in Kuala Lumpur.
“The Government is always announcing the possibility of bringing down the price of books. But the prices remain high.
“I remember when a Ladybird (children’s) book was RM3.90. Now it’s RM7.90 or more. The average novel costs as much as a CD. Even the paperback edition of Harry Potter costs more than my students can afford – they have to borrow my copy!”
Loo thinks teachers are able to influence students’ reading habits: “If parents don’t do anything, the next in line must be teachers. We should at least try.”
Inthira agrees. “I tell my students about the books I read and that often piques their interest. When they want to know more about a topic, I encourage them to read up on it and then write a report, which I put up on the English board. It is something they can be proud of and that encourages them.”
Loo even resorts to bribery, handing out shampoo, cream and hair gel sachets with every book she gives out. “I think we should be given the budget to give students book vouchers as rewards for reading, or doing well in school and sports.
“The Nilam programme doesn’t work (Nadi Ilmu Amalan Membaca – an Education Ministry initiative begun in 1996 that makes children read books and write reports about them). I know many students would rather pay fines than read and write book reports, but maybe if they have book vouchers, the thrill of going to a bookshop and choosing their own books would motivate them to read.”
In fact, one way the reading campaign intends to promote reading is to award book vouchers, says Dr Rais.
“At public libraries, there will be a system of noting how many books are borrowed over a period of time by an individual. Those who read voraciously will be rewarded with book vouchers.”
Learning from countries that read
Dr Rais believes that libraries have an important role to play in encouraging the reading habit. “Books are expensive and in some small towns, there aren’t even bookshops so public libraries have to bridge the gap.
“I am sad to say,” he continues, “that many of the libraries that already exist are really not very well stocked.
“Librarians need to take on more responsibility when it comes to ensuring their library has a good selection of books.
“They also need to play a part in getting the community interested in books. Unfor-tunately, it has long been a suspicion of mine that librarians do not read. How then can they do a good job? They need to know about books, either by experiencing them first hand or through research.”
It is not just public libraries that suffer from having staff that do not have sufficient knowledge. According to Loo, the library at the Methodist Boys School has been given a facelift, but this has included replacing perfectly good, hardback classics with “new, unheard-of authors in soft covers that do not last”.
In countries like Canada and Australia, school libraries are often run by teacher-librarians, certified teachers who are also fully qualified librarians. Among other duties, teacher-librarians choose books for their libraries and plan reading programmes for their students.
Dr Rais is open to the possibility of Malaysia adopting this practice, believing that we should learn from countries that have a stronger reading culture than our own and whose reading initiatives have shown good results.
One reading programme that he is impressed by is British Bookstart, which gives free books to babies.
“I think this is something that we can do,” says Dr Rais. “Making books accessible is important and there are many ways of doing that, from giving free books to children to providing more libraries and bookshops to even starting a book village.”
He would also like to explore the idea of setting up an organisation like Australia’s Children’s Book Council, to oversee reading promotions and programmes (see “It takes the whole country” above).
It will be interesting to see how this reading campaign compares with the others before it. At the very least, let’s hope that this one gets the push it deserves.
It would be a shame if at the end of its five-year term, another student like Leow says, “Reading campaign? What reading campaign?”
AFTER several vain attempts to arrange a formal interview with the National Library’s Director-General, Dr Haji Wan Ali Wan Mamat, we finally tracked him down at a busy rehearsal for the launch of this year’s national book campaign.
How do you feel about the new reading campaign lasting five years?
I am very happy. Continuous efforts are needed to change the reading habits of a society. We need time to implement changes, for example the price of books, and to increase the number of libraries and local writers.
Was last year’s reading campaign a success?
Yes, I think it was a success. It was ... not bad.
How did you measure its success?
We did not measure.
So what makes you say that it was a success?
I guess, you could say because the use of libraries increased. Book sales also maybe increased.
Do you have data on the increase of library use and book sales?
No, we do not have any data yet. It is my impression that the campaign was a success.
What do you base your impression on?
For example ... there are not enough seats in the library on Saturdays nowadays. This is partly thanks to our new wing with more books.
How many books are in the new wing?
I am not sure. More books ... maybe three times the number in the old area.
You also have a nice new roof! How much did it cost?
More than RM5mil.
How much did the new books in the new wing cost?
I’m not sure, but very much more than what we spent the year before.
IT makes sense that any effort to turn Malaysia into a nation of readers should concentrate on its children.
Most developed countries take great pains to promote literacy and a love for reading among their youth. In Britain, the Booktrust charity (www.booktrust.org.uk), which aims to encourage readers of all ages to discover books, administers Bookstart, a national scheme that offers free books to every child and advice to every parent.
Organisations like the Children’s Book Council (cbcbooks.org) and Reading is Fundamental (rif.org) in the United States do work akin to that carried out by Booktrust, and so does the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA, at cbc.org.au).
An e-mail interview with Margaret Hamilton, director of the CBCA (2005/2006), confirms that it takes much more than book fairs, theme songs and bright ideas to get children reading.
What do you think is the single most important thing that is needed to turn a child into a book lover?
Reading to children from a very early age is one of the most effective ways of turning them into readers and booklovers. Research has proven that children who are read to from birth learn to read earlier and therefore do better at school.
Sharing a picture book on a regular basis with a baby or young child is one of the most satisfying things a parent can do. As the child grows up, establishing the reading habit at home by setting aside time for reading together – even setting an example by reading and having books in the home – makes reading a natural part of family life so that when the child goes to school, books will be familiar and welcome friends.
Books should spark children’s interest and imagination, challenge them to greater reading proficiency and inspire them to read more. But most of all they should enjoy what they are reading. Reading should not be a task, but a pleasurable and enthralling experience.
Of all the efforts the CBCA has made to foster children’s enjoyment of books, which do you think has had the most impact?
The Children’s Book of the Year Awards are undoubtedly the most successful. Schools eagerly await the announcement of the shortlist in April and spend time promoting these books and debating which will win until August, when the winners are announced.
The biennial national conferences are also very successful and influential.
At a more grassroots level, CBCA branches work hard promoting books to children. They arrange author and illustrator visits to schools and committee members also talk about books at functions and events held to promote books and reading.
The National CBCA reviewing journal, Reading Time, and each branch newsletter disseminates information about the work of the CBCA and children’s books.
What are the main problems faced by the CBCA?
Australia is a huge country. Running a national organisation is almost impossible without the support of local branches in each state and territory.
The CBCA became national in 1959 and it has grown in strength and reputation since then. It is now seen as one of the most influential organisations of its kind in the world.
The biggest challenge the CBCA has faced is funding for the annual Children’s Book of the Year Awards. When these awards were first presented in 1946, female winners received a camellia flower and males, a handshake!
In 1996, the CBCA Awards Foundation was set up with the aim of raising A$1mil (RM2.7mil at today’s rates). Interest from invested donations was to fund prizes for the awards and ensure their independence forever.
In the ensuing years a massive national fund-raising campaign resulted in donations from publishers, booksellers, librarians, teachers, authors, illustrators and even thousands of children, eager to contribute to the awards for their books.
These were difficult financial times, so many were sceptical and doubted that the one million-dollar target would be reached. Nevertheless, on the CBCA’s 60th anniversary in 2005, touchdown was announced
Prize money for the awards is now funded from interest achieved from investments. This year’s prize money amounts to A$40,000 (RM109,200).
Was there ever a time when the CBCA’s work was not considered worthy, a waste of time and resources?
No, there was never such a time. School librarians, teachers, authors, illustrators and publishers have all supported the CBCA to some degree throughout its history. There is always a great deal of work to do and because it is all done voluntarily it is sometimes difficult to find people with enough spare time.
Born of need
AFTER World War II, imports of children's books were restricted and a paper shortage curtailed production in Australia. A groundswell of interest among Australian educators led to a widespread movement to provide more and better locally produced books and to foster the growth of school and children’s libraries.In September 1945, after discussions with visiting librarians from the US Information Library, a Children’s Book Week was mooted. The idea was greeted with enthusiasm and it was soon resolved that Children’s Book Week should be an annual event.
It is generally accepted that the initial meeting in September marked the birth of the Children’s Book Council of Australia. Officially, the CBCA was established in 1945 in the state of New South Wales and by 1959 it had become a national organisation; it now has eight branches, one in each of the country's states and territories.
The DG part was not in the newspaper right? Don't remember reading that. Sad...
I am working in the dept of statistics and I know there was a survey on 'profil membaca'.
I have a group of friends who loves books. We bought & read books every month. I am looking forward to your children's book festival in december.
Posted by: aza | Wednesday, July 19, 2006 at 14:00
I'm very concerned that the DG of the National Library is so transparent in his apathy on whether the reading campaigns are effective or not.
It doesn't seem like there's any effort to try other methods of encouraging reading.
No data on whether the campaign is a success or not??? Very worrying.
And he knows how much the roof costs, but not the amount of books bought for the new wing - very telling...
Don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Posted by: amelia | Tuesday, July 18, 2006 at 15:27