Mass reading programmes organised in schools ahead of ‘Porunai Book Fair’

Ahead of the 9^th ‘Porunai Book Fair’ to be inaugurated at Nellai Trade Centre here on Tuesday (February 10), the Department of School Education organised ‘One Day, One Book’ mass reading programme in the schools on Monday.

As the 13-day ‘Porunai Book Fair’ starts here on Tuesday, the Department of School Education organised the ‘mass reading programme’ in all the schools in the district on Monday to popularise the upcoming event and encourage the students to understand the happiness of reading. The students of 6 to 9 and 11, who were asked to sit in the classrooms, auditorium and other shady open spaces of the school, were given a book to read for an hour.

“The heads of the schools were asked to give the students books with 25 or 30 pages on interesting themes and inculcating positive thinking, moral values etc. to read for an hour and ponder upon. The students may also be encouraged to speak for a few minutes about the books they read during the ‘mass reading programme’ and discuss about the message they could get during the hour-long reading. Each student should be encouraged to visit the book fair at least once and buy books of their choice,” said Chief Educational Officer Sivakumar.

The CEO has planned to give district-level and school-level prize to the students who purchase books in the book fair for highest value.

Similar exercise was organised at VOC Stadium, Palayamkottai also in which over 1,000 students participated.

“The ‘mass reading events’ are being organised across the district to popularise the ‘Porunai Book Fair’ and encourage the public to visit the expo with their families. Hence, rallies, wall graffiti, campaign vehicles etc. are being used to take this event to the public,” said District Collector R. Sukumar.