Presidential Advisor on Youth Matters and Enterprise Development, Daisry Mathias on Thursday joined the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture in celebrating Readathon Day at Fidel Castro Primary School.

Readathon Day is held on the last Friday of September, annually to celebrate reading, with an emphasis on the importance of reading in the lives of young people.

In her remarks, Mathias said reading is essential for children to become successful in school and in their journey through life and applauded learners from Fidel Castro Primary School for their constant reading and learning despite challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The better the child can read the easier it will be for them to learn in school to achieve their dreams. I am happy that you are hard at work with your education and you all have continued with learning and reading throughout the year despite difficulties and challenges of your studies brought by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mathias said.

Meanwhile, Inspector of Education Victoria Shikwambi said the readathon is aimed at honouring the ministry’s efforts to improve core numeracy and literacy skills and is done by teachers and librarians and provide learners with reading resources.

“It is mainly to infuse learners with appreciation, understanding, love for reading and usage of languages in their daily lives. It also aimed at spreading awareness of the significance of literacy and inspiring learners to read not only for understanding, but for enjoyment too,” Shikwambi stated.

She said readathon programmes are fundamental to children in the pre-primary and junior primary phase as they can at an early stage address reading difficulties.

Readathon week was held by the MoEAC Directorate of Namibia Library and Archives Service (NLAS) from 20 to 24 September under the theme ‘Read Namibia: Prevent the impacts of COVID-19 in the education landscape.’

Source: The Namibian Press Agency