Students challenged on reading culture

The Commander, Rapid Response Squad, RRS, Olatunji Disu, and Taiwo Ololade Salvador, convener of TOS Educational Initiative, have admonished Nigerian students on the need to embrace a good reading culture, as this will give them opportunities in life.

Disu, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), explained that reading was important not just for educational purposes but also to help students take right decisions in matters concerning them.

The RRS boss, who spoke at the commemorative book-reading event organised by TOS Educational Initiative in Lagos, encouraged students to embrace the culture of reading, as it is an important part of life, adding that reading goes a long way in combating social ills such as cultism and gangsterism.

The commander, who was represented by CSP Kehinde Oni, stressed that proper education and good reading would keep students from considering options of joining criminal gang or cults as their minds would have been opened to global possibilities that await them after graduating from school.

Salvador stated that the programme was as a result of her passion for education and stressed that children needed to learn to enjoy reading for themselves and not simply because they needed to pass exams.

Salvador, an education activist, said there was so much information available to persons who made move to learn on the Internet and that the ability to read was requisite to use of search engines such as google.

She explained that the world had become a global village, and that it would be to the advantage of society if children and scholars were encouraged by everyone to read and expand their minds, views and knowledge through books.

She reiterated that the event, which was attended by students from schools in the state, was just one of many initiatives the NGO would be rolling out to inculcate better reading habits among students.

Salvador, while introducing the event’s special guest, the Director, New York Parks Department, Eric Thomann, said that knowledge was key in development of any society and that knowledge sharing partnerships were important to position Lagos’ students to succeed and compete favourably with their peers globally.

In his speech, Thomann expressed appreciation of the wealth of traditional and practical agricultural knowledge which, he said, was abundant in Nigeria, adding that it was imperative to build on such foundations by students learning as much as they could by embracing good reading habits which, he said would widen their range of experiences.

The American horticulturist encouraged the pupils to put in their best in their studies and should always be motivated to read and learn something new daily.

Some of the schools in attendance included Akande Dahunsi Memorial High School, Wahab Folawiyo Senior and Junior Schools, Government Senior and Junior college Falomo, Government Senior and Junior College Ikoyi, Ikosi Junior High School, Kosofe Junior High School, Lanre Awolokun High School, Government Senior College Maroko and CMS Girls Grammar School.