HRD Ministry wants children to develop interest in reading

New Delhi, Apr 19 (UNI) The Human Resource Development Ministry wants children to develop an interest in reading for pleasure as an essential part of the development of their personality.

The National Council of Educational Research and Training(NCERT) has set up a Reading Development Cell(RDC) with the objective of helping children explore and process information which would develop the interest in exploring new books.

The Cell will select, process and develop innovative and interesting study material initially for class one and two children and orient teachers in reading pedagogy, according to Prof Manjula Mathur of Central Institute of Educational Technology(CIET), a constituent of NCERT.

It will also develop manuals for teachers and set up reading corners in schools.

The RDC will also organise seminars, book fairs and exhibitions to create awareness among masses.

The Council has taken a number of other steps to improve the quality of teaching and education and to make the school atmosphere more friendly to children.

One of such programmes is sesitising teachers against corporal punishment, which sometime happens to be the biggest reason for children to try to avoid going to school.

The Department of Elementary Education is also conducting a research to find out the factors associated with low achievement level among Scheduled Caste children at the Upper Primary stage.

The NCERT has also started integrating the information communication technology into the process of school education.

Keeping pace with the changing times it has taken up online publication of textbooks and around 200 textbooks are available on its website.

UNI