CBSE schools work on re-igniting the passion for reading – Times of India

About the initiative

Biswajit Saha, director (training and skill education), CBSE, says, “The reading competition is a micro intervention of the larger Reading Mission we had introduced earlier. Recently, we received feedback from across schools that pinpoint to the fact that students are not paying attention to the habit of reading, a phenomenon that needs to be addressed on priority.”

“CBSE plans to introduce more case-based questions in the future, which demand fluency in reading. Students must need to not only understand the questions but be able to answer them precisely and correctly. This is only possible for students who have a habit of reading,” tells Saha adding how the educationists demanded the need to encourage reading habits in schools.

Issues being faced

Jerry George Matthew, principal, Clarence High School, Bengaluru, says that a shift in technology towards more interactive options draws students away from reading a hard-bound book. “Only about 10% of students voluntarily visit the library beyond designated periods. The lack of interest in reading is visible in poor vocabulary among students across classes,” he tells.

Father Stanley Ignatius, rector and correspondent, St Bede’s Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, Dominic Savio Matriculation School and St Bede‘s Academy, Chennai says that about 25% of students he has observed willingly visit a library. “I often see students struggle while speaking in front of an audience. I attribute this to their lack of reading skills,” he says.

It is the need to take a break from the continuous act of reading and writing during classes that may lead students away from libraries, says Shim Mathew, director, academic operations, and international partnerships, VIBGYOR Group of Schools, Delhi. “Reading helps develop communication skills. Today, students lean towards physical conversations during their break from classes rather than read a book to get a chance,” he tells.

Initiatives by schools


“Before the pandemic, we started a programme wherein our librarian would give an age-appropriate book every week to students across classes. During the pandemic, we moved this exercise online with the help of online libraries. The ensuing discussions would reveal that many students took this initiative seriously and enjoyed reading,” tells George Matthew.

Ignatius introduced a programme wherein the last 20 minutes of each day is set aside as a reading time for students. “The class teacher would supervise this activity. Further, once every week, students are invited to speak on the stage, which tests their fluency. The addition of extracurricular activities aimed at improving students’ reading skills is also required,” he says.

Shim Mathew talks about a Library Reading Programme at the schools, where students are issued an age-appropriate book on a weekly basis and are required to discuss the same with their teachers. “Accompanied with practical activities such as designing a book cover adds to the experience and gives students an incentive to read more.”