Culture of reading: PTI lawmaker unravels power of storytelling

Says politicians should take time out to engage with schoolchildren

PESHAWAR: Politicians must take time out from their busy schedules, spend time with schoolchildren and help them engage in activities that will enhance their skills and increase their knowledge.

This was said by PTI lawmaker Sajid Nawaz during a storytelling and street art session held at Government Girls Primary School Ghari Ameer Khan in the city on Saturday. The initiative was organised by and was part of School Reading Programme 2016.

The School Reading Programme has been launched in collaboration with Children’s Literature Festival and Alif Ailaan. The initiative aims to improve the quality of education through the art of storytelling. It seeks to engage politicians, local government representatives and education managers in achieving this target.

During the event, he read various stories to students of class five. A majority of the stories he read were from a children’s magazine.  Nawaz acted out various parts of the story to engage the audiences and encourage children to read.

This was followed by a street art session. The lawmaker and students painted a wall of the school with pictures of children reading famous Urdu storybooks.

Nawaz also spoke to teachers and school management about improving the quality of education provided at the school. The faculty raised various concerns. He vowed to forward their complaints to the education department. In April, a workshop was held at a hotel in the city to discuss plans to organise such sessions. A large number of ministers, politicians, LG representatives and education managers from K-P participated in the workshop.

During the session, it was revealed that at least 49% of class five students cannot read a sentence in English, 50% cannot solve a two-digit arithmetic division questions and 55% are unable to read Urdu books designed for grade two.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22^nd, 2016.