NUGS administrator bemoans poor reading culture among students

The administrator of the National Union of Ghana (NUGS) has said that the poor reading culture among students in the country is a concern that must be looked at.

According to him, students spend more time on various social media platforms than their books.

Speaking on the “Read A Book A Week” show on Radio Univers, Robert Zu said that the ‘deplorable’ state of libraries in the country was a contributing factor to the issue.

“Looking at the reading habits of students, I can basically say that it has gone to a very low point. I believe that there are some factors in play that are making these statistics a reality. Just go around and see the number of libraries we have in this country. Most of them are in a deplorable state. Students do not even go to the library any longer, students now resort to social media and almost all their time and focus is now on social media,” he lamented.

Robert Zu thus urged Ghanaians to develop a reading habit.

He stressed that: “For you to be a more successful person in Ghana, you must be glued to the reading of books. Reading makes life and the book you read is going to make you in the future. The extreme focus that you need to base on as a student, as a person, and as a leader in this country, is to read books and also to implore your subordinates to also read. Just imagine people do not read people who know how to twist things will find a way to twist an image a story for you when they know you are not going to read.”

Also speaking on the show, Founder and Managing Director of Focus Publishing Institute, Abraham A. Anab called on all stakeholders to make more efforts in addressing the poor reading culture among the populace.

He said: “Teachers must motivate and create an avenue for us to be able to read, when it comes to the government’s side, they should be able to create room for students who are in high schools and tertiary institutions and put pragmatic initiatives that can bring their mind to reading,” he said.

The “Read A Book A Week” is dedicated to inculcating the habit of reading in individuals. It airs on Thursdays from 3 pm to 4 pm.