One of the daunting challenges in the Cameroonian education system is the lack of reading culture in schools. This problem is compounded by two major factors.
First, the Cameroonian system of education is dominated by exams which play a crucial role in deciding the students’ future. Second, almost all the students and teachers speak English as their second or even third language.
Third, trying to encourage a culture of reading invariably means the culture of reading in English, a language that students use very rarely outside the classroom.
It is in this light that the National Book Development Council, NBDC, Cameroon recently donated books to 20 schools libraries and a community library in Fako Division
The donation ceremony held at Bongo Square under the patronage of the Delegate of Secondary Education Francis Ngundu.
Speaking at the occasion, NBDC Chairman, Mwalimu George Ngwane, said the motive of the gesture was “to promote a book culture aimed at improving reading and writing habits and library development skills of individual and schools.”
He added that the guideline of the occasion was “connecting school libraries to community libraries; making libraries functional.”
He equally said NBDC stands to make libraries more useful by providing books that are of interest to users. The organization also hopes to improve English language proficiency, considering that its standards are quite low.
Ngwane, however regretted that libraries have become more of warehouses than of knowledge stores. It was against this backdrop that he encouraged teachers to help develop a reading spirit in their students and pupils by taking books to them in their classrooms.
The NBDC Chairman said his organization is out to promote general reading. This explains why it has donated books cutting across various strata such as health, science, fiction and general knowledge.
“The only way NBDC can achieve success is for libraries to witness an increase in users,” Ngwane said, a thing his organization hopes to achieve through its programme of training librarians to facilitate library accessibility
Complementing Ngwane’s word, the Secondary Education Delegate said “Cameroonians need to be elastic in their thinking and in their knowledge of general affairs. Only extensive reading can make acquisition of knowledge possible.”
He called on the beneficiaries to make good use of the books and to help revamp Cameroon’s reading culture.
On behalf of the beneficiaries, the Director of Intensive Vocational Training Institute, IVTC Becky Efoe, lauded the efforts of the NBDC adding that intellectual development can only be gotten by reading books.
The Principal of Government Secondary School Bomaka, Chief Njie Mokosa, said the books would help him start a library in his three year old institution.
Martin Lekie, the Headmaster of Princess Diana Nursery and Primary School, promised to contribute his own quota to instill a reading culture among Cameroonians.
“My teachers will summaries the books to the level of children’s understanding and give out the information in simpler terms,” he said.
On her part, the librarian of Regina Pacis College, Mutengene, equally thanked the donors and promised to sign out books to students and help clarify their doubts when need arises.
The National Development Book Council, it should be noted works in partnership with the International Book Project, IBP, based in the U.S.
A couple of years ago, NBDC equally benefited books from Book Aid International.
NBDC will donate books in Ndian and Kupe Muanenguba Divisions and will later the Northwest Region in the near future.
Also present at the occasion were representatives of GBHS Muyuka, St Joseph’s College Sasse, BHS Buea IMPAAS Tiko, CKC Tiko, amongst others. Some students and pupils of these schools also came to witness the occasion.
The Mwalimu is a spiralling figure in this
generation which is fast wasting away.
we no longer understand value,
talk less of the "habit" to appreciate
God given ddestinies.
the aspirations of the youths are
loaded with vain things...
when will reading become our culture,
and not just our culture but our habits.
thanks to Mwalimu Goeorge Ngwane for
doing a tremendous assignment to His community and country.
your names is not only written in the anals an chronicles: your name is boldly written in our hearts.
peace in Jesus Name
Posted by: Nelson Takha | December 15, 2009 at 04:57 AM