Zest for Million Book initiative catches on

Dubai: More and more schoolgoers are participating in reading activities this week in their enthusiasm to be part of the "Million Book" initiative launched by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Mirdif Private School dedicated a whole day to reading activities that saw some 300 pupils from the kindergarten level to Grade 6 trying to highlight the theme "Stop ignorance in the World."

Within a couple of hours after classes began in the morning, the children had collectively read through more than 1,300 books with the assistance of their teachers and parents.

"In this high-tech era, reading seems to have lost its appeal. We encourage children to read by assigning them books to read every week and sending letters to parents to read to their children at least 10-15 minutes a day," said Ghada Ghandour, principal and founder of the school.

Umm Ahmad Abdul Qadir, a parent who managed to read around 45 books during the reading marathon, said: "Reading is extremely important for the intellectual growth of a child. At first it may seem like an activity but later it develops into a personal interest."

"When was the last time you saw parents with their children, buying books to read," asked Ghandour.

Although both Arabic and English books were available for reading during the day, it was felt that the latter offered more by way of display for children.

"Arabic publications are getting better all the time but there are not enough books that choose a lucid style and model their material to suit the younger age groups," said Ghandour.

According to Dubai Cares, 288,800 books have been read until now in 156 schools across the UAE.