Syria Today | Reading in the spotlight

Nour Sabbagh, 36, teacher: “There are three things that can be done. First, it’s not good enough to simply concentrate on cities with large populations. There are villages with high illiteracy rates that should be focused on. Second, books are expensive to buy. There should always be less expensive editions available made out of cheaper paper which everyone can afford. Third, librarians should be trained to deal with readers who read at different levels. I also don’t think the teaching methods used in our schools encourage children to fall in love with reading. Our traditional methods rely on a copy and memorise mentality – not to mention the fact that there are many unqualified teachers who simply do not encourage their pupils to read.”

Amjad Rayyahi, 19, chemistry student: “Building and supporting more children’s libraries across the country would be a good first step towards encouraging children to read more. Parents should also read to their children and teach them that such a skill is one of the most basic in life. More awareness campaigns and initiatives should also be implemented to steer people away from the TV, cinema and internet.”

Ahmad Nasser, 18, baccalaureate student: “There is no excuse for anyone not to read. I feel ashamed when I read statistics about reading rates in the Arab world compared to other countries. In Syria and the region in general, there should be a rethink about the ways books are marketed and reading is promoted. The West is highly developed in this regard. Many people in the West read of their own accord. This is how the West has learnt to spread its culture. We should think of reading in this way too.”

Nawal Ataya, 27, economics masters student: “Economic factors such as the high price of books are a real problem which should be solved in order to encourage people to read. We also need independent think-tanks specialising in education to come up with plans to promote reading. The government cannot do it alone.”