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Students shun reading for fun: survey

A survey found that about 25 percent of junior high school students have difficulty with extracurricular reading.

The poll of 3,440 junior high school students between Oct. 22 and Nov. 14 by the Chinese-language Education, Parenting and Family Lifestyle bimonthly found that 22 percent of respondents had difficulty reading a book without pictures from start to finish for fun.

Only 40 percent of the interviewees said they frequently read books other than texts assigned in class, while only 33 percent believed they would continue to read books after finishing school.

Although the majority of students polled said they received an allowance, only 24 percent said they bought books for themselves, while 27 percent said they had never borrowed a book or looked for information at a library.

Less than 45 percent said reading was pleasurable.

The publication also polled 56 junior high school principals and 598 teachers. Of these, 71 percent said their students generally lacked the ability to comprehend and summarize an article, while 72 percent said their students did not know how to take notes.

Meanwhile, at a forum in Taipei, Sarah Osborne, project manager of Britain’s National Literacy Trust — a non-governmental charity that seeks to promote reading among students — said it was the responsibility of every member of a community to encourage children to read.

“Imagine the difference it would make if every child loved to read,” she told the forum.

Osborne said the organization found in a 2005 survey in Britain that of 8,000 students polled, 38 percent said they only enjoyed reading a little while another 11 percent said they did not enjoy reading at all.

About one-third of the children said they were “non-readers” and the perception among those polled was largely that students who read were “old-fashioned, boring and less likely to be popular,” she said.

Osborne said schools needed to promote a wide range of reading materials and involve teaching and non-teaching staff in promoting reading.

Schools can establish a system to encourage students to read, such as offering awards or recognition to students who read many books, she said.

In the meantime, schools should try to engage families in promoting a reading at home, she said.

“We have a vision that everyone should have the reading, writing, speaking and listening ability to fulfill not only their potential, but also the nation’s potential,” she said.
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