Living in a digital age that whizzes information to our fingertips, with glowing screens and endless entertainment, we have almost forgotten books in this whirlwind of the digital era. I have seriously observed the government schools in my area, Narabal (Budgam), the semi-digitised schools. In some schools, digitalisation is almost zero.
There is an old school treasure that deserves a place in students’ backpacks—books. These tools, filled with inky lines, may seem a little bit slow, but hold a unique kind of magic. Let’s try to introduce the concept of book reading in government elementary and high schools, to purchase a variety of books from the market and believe that books encompass a variety of genres. The unique perspective of each genre plays a crucial role in personal and skill development.
Believe me, students like book reading just as they like sports. As an academic monitor in my home district, Budgam, I have seen almost all the schools where I visit, with no library or reading room. In some schools, the books are piled up in a tin box called a library.
I agree with some of my fellow educators about the unavailability of rooms for a library. But in schools with sufficient infrastructure and space, there is no such thing as library. Imagine a government school, both elementary and high school, with a library and reading room. Educators and students reading books in leisure time—how beautiful the scene could be.
In my recent visit to one of the government middle schools of my home district, Budgam, I found one and learnt a lesson for life. At around 1:30 pm, I, along with my fellow academic monitors, reached this beautifully located school, nestled in hills with mesmerising greenery. The campus was quiet and calm. On seeing this calmness, we were scared to begin with, but slowly moved ahead.
We found a room almost 12 by 12 feet in area. The educators and students were reading, turning over the pages of books. It looked so beautiful and reminded me of a famous saying: “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.”
The beautifully decorated wooden shelves contained a variety of books. These shelves attracted me, and I found the books on them encompassed a variety of genres. The students and teachers were in a poetic frenzy, in a different world altogether.
The head of the institute noticed my presence. I got out of the room and didn’t want to disturb them. The HOI followed me, and we sat in the park. I was curious to know about this book reading. I asked him, “When do the students go for a break?”
He said, “1:00 pm. to 1:30 pm., and from 1:30 pm. to 2:00 pm., they have been given a choice for book reading. The number of students involved in book reading is soaring every day.”
I asked him about the benefits of book reading in this digital era. He elaborated, “The internet offers a vast ocean of knowledge, but books provide deep dives. Reading a book cultivates deeper knowledge and understanding.”
He continued, “Books challenge students to think critically and analytically. Book reading stimulates intellectual curiosity. It reduces stress, promotes relaxation, enhances empathy and emotional intelligence, and builds vocabulary and language skills.”
When I asked about the collection of books for the kids up to middle level, his reply was interesting. “It is not about Math, Science, English, SST, Urdu books only, but we have fiction books which enhance creativity and empathy as children immerse themselves in imaginative worlds; non-fiction books which broaden understanding. Fantasy and adventure genres stimulate creativity.”
I, as an academic monitor, started thinking: what if every government school—elementary, middle, or high school—inculcates the habit of book reading? The books piled up in a tin box will gather dust. I started imagining a kid of 10 years old holding a storybook in his hand with calm composure. Another holding an adventure genre, sitting alongside the educators in the same room.
The tin box library in our elementary and middle government schools is of no use except to maintain the stock register and cash book. If a room is available in a primary or middle school, setting up a library should not take time. A few shelves and a collection of books are not a big issue if we, as educators, have the right intention about it. Simple plastic storage containers can be utilised.
In this whirlwind of digital awesomeness, this old-school treasure should not be neglected. The School Education Department of J&K should take concrete steps to revive and rejuvenate the book-reading habit amongst students and educators right from the elementary level.
Edna St. Vincent Millay has rightly said:
From the dust of ages
Lift this little book,
Turn tattered pages,
Read me, do not let me
Die!
Search the fading letters finding
Steadfast in the broken binding
All that once was!
The writer is a teacher at Boys High School, Narabal
Muntashir Kifayat Hussain
mu**************@***il.com