Students Urged to Make Use of Public Libraries

Students are being implored to make good use of public libraries across the island for reading.

President of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA), Dr. Mark Smith, in making the call said that libraries offer a wealth of resources to support literacy and learning.

“When we have free time on our hands, rather than loitering, take the opportunity to go and borrow a book,” he urged.

“I remember as a child, going to a library and just seeing the thousands of books and getting excited at the prospect of getting one of those books that would transport me to a different time or a different place,” he said, noting that books also help to dispel the “ignorance that sometimes besets certain sections of our society”.

Dr. Smith, who was addressing a recent Read Across Jamaica Day event at Hayes Primary and Infant School in Clarendon, said that parents are “incredibly important” in getting children to appreciate books and reading.

He noted that as their children’s first teachers, parents can impact the process of literacy.

“So, I encourage parents to put down the phone sometimes, come off the Instagram and the TikTok, and take up a book. It is important for children to see us reading because when they see us reading, it stimulates their interest and desire to read themselves,” he said.

Dr. Smith also commended the “incredible work” of librarians at the Jamaica Library Service (JLS) in helping children develop literacy skills and a love for reading.

Principal of Hayes Primary and Infant, Enid Graham, said she expects that the Read Across Jamaica Day activities at the school, which saw public and private-sector persons reading and engaging with the students, will have a positive impact.

“We know reading is key to our success and without reading we won’t be able to reach our goal. I am expecting them to have a very positive influence on our students today as we continue to work for a better country,” she told JIS News.

Observed annually during the JTA’s celebration of Education Week, Read Across Jamaica is a national effort to promote literacy and a love for reading among students of all ages.