Are we a nation that does not read? Those with such a view, I am afraid, are generally correct. The conviction that people in this country are not interested in reading is backed up by a recent survey of the number of visitors to libraries. The results of the survey which covered a number of Saudi cities were shocking. No more than ten people were found to visit a library on any given day. This is so amazing that it should make us all worry about the future of our younger generations. It is saddening to see institutions that are supposed to feed peoples’ minds being deserted.
This is unfortunately not the end of the story. The survey found that among the ten people listed as library visitors, many were students who came looking for reference books. These students were not acting on their own but went there because their teacher had asked them to do so.
Comparing our situation with that in other countries may not be good news either. A country such as Spain was found to publish more translated works than all Arab countries combined. In other parts of the world, several editions of the same book are published and millions of copies sold.
This is not the case here where a book may sell a few thousand copies with no hope of another edition simply because people are not interested in reading. Many voice dissatisfaction with our textbooks and call for reform as if the problem were with the Ministry of Education. Apart from reform, we need to teach our children to love and respect books. A student may spend 16 years in school and yet come out with very little general knowledge of the world they live in.
There are several reasons behind this problem and the most important is the lack of a good example at home for children to follow. If parents and teachers hold no love for books, how can we expect children to be any better? Other reasons are the lack of public libraries and the easy access to recreation facilities.
The solution must begin at home. We must teach our children to develop the taste for reading. Having a public library nearby is as important as having a public park or commercial center.
Arab News From the Local Press 4 February 2003
