Fill the gap in reading culture

Although the reading promotion movement, Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day is held annually, the habit of reading in the community has not really spread widely. Many young people consider reading as a secondary choice, instead of an essential need in spiritual life.

This reality shows that Vietnamese reading culture is still at the movement level, lacking depth and a sustainable foundation - a big challenge on the journey of building a learning society and developing knowledge.

Alarming situation

In 2024, according to the publishing industry, books reached 597.2 million copies per 101.11 million people, the above number decreased to 5.91 copies per person. Notably, textbooks accounted for 77.35% of the number of copies, meaning only 22.65% of the remaining books were other types of books. 461.93 million copies of textbooks are essentially learning tools and materials. The remaining 135.27 million copies of books are associated with reading culture, equivalent to 1.3 copies per person, a number that accurately reflects the level and reading habits of Vietnamese people.

Reading lessons should be built as a main subject in school.

From the above figures, Mr. Le Hoang - former Vice President of the Vietnam Publishing Association said that the figures are vivid evidence that the reading culture of Vietnamese people is very low compared to the reading ability of some countries in Southeast Asia in particular and Asia as well as developed countries in general, they have reached the reading level of over 10 books/person/year. The reason why our reading culture is so weak is because our people do not have the habit of reading books. A habit that must be formed in the family and school environment from childhood.

In schools, reading culture is not considered a regular educational activity. Libraries in many places are still poor and rarely updated, while students mainly access textbooks and exam preparation materials. In many families, bookcases are gradually disappearing, giving way to electronic devices. Part of the reason is due to the explosion of digital technology, which makes people easily get caught up in the flow of information that is fast, short, and has more images than text. Another part comes from the education work itself, where reading is not guided or stimulated, but is often considered a mandatory task.

Dr. Pham Viet Long - Chairman of the Board of Management of Dan Tri Publishing House said that the reading culture factor has not been strongly developed and permeated into people's daily lives. Along with that, the strong development of technology and modern entertainment means creates competition, reducing time and interest for reading. Besides, access to books, especially in rural areas, is still limited due to lack of facilities. This may reflect a big challenge in forming and maintaining a reading culture.

To make reading culture a habit

In the context of a knowledge-based society, reading is not only a cultural activity but also a fundamental ability that helps each person learn throughout life. Reading helps people think independently, improve their critical thinking skills and enrich their life experiences. A nation with a strong reading culture is a nation with a solid knowledge foundation. Therefore, arousing the spirit of reading, especially among young people, should be considered a long-term task.

Many experts suggest that it is necessary to introduce reading culture into schools in flexible forms - through free reading hours, reading comprehension projects, or book review writing competitions. At the same time, publishers and authors also need to innovate content and form to create attractive books that are close to the psychology of modern readers. In the digital age, applying technology such as e-books, audiobooks, or online reading spaces... is also a necessary direction, as long as the core value of reading is still maintained: contemplation and connecting people with knowledge.

Regarding this issue, according to Mr. Le Hoang, it is necessary to form reading lessons in the official curriculum. Because in the current family environment, not all parents have the time or enough awareness to accompany their children in reading. Therefore, schools need to be a place to inspire and maintain that love in a systematic and sustainable way. If in the official curriculum, students read books periodically, the reading experience will not be limited by the curriculum or heavy exam-oriented exercises. This is a way to help children see that reading is not only for learning but also for living, to understand themselves and understand others.

Along with that, Mr. Hoang said that it is necessary to invest in facilities and funding to provide enough information resources and books in general science libraries, especially the library systems of schools at all levels and universities. And it is necessary to add new provisions on developing reading culture in the supplementary Publishing Law in the coming time.

Master Nguyen Huu Gioi - Chairman of the Vietnam Library Association said that it is necessary to have a market research strategy to have a plan to publish good books, good books, to meet the needs and tastes of readers. The quality of the content of publications needs special attention. It is also necessary to research to have many e-books and audiobooks to serve the people in the fourth industrial revolution. Increase the addition of books, newspapers, information resources, build an increasingly rich archive with the motto of closely following the needs of readers, promptly supplementing valuable documents and digital collections, having a good effect on economic development, culture - society, hunger eradication and poverty reduction in the locality.

daidoanket.vn

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/lap-day-khoang-trong-van-hoa-doc-post885121.html