The incumbent government has organized nine children’s literary festivals at the state level and 48 at the region and state level in three years, and the festivals reflect its efforts towards promoting children’s and youth literature.
The move is aimed at helping our children, the future leaders of our country, gain knowledge through reading, and instilling the spirit of cooperation among them through participation in games at the festivals.
In the world today, countries with high reading rates are developed. Why? Perhaps because reading helps us look at and cherish our diversity and differences and the versatility of life. Both children and adults can gain a better understanding of other cultures, their own feelings, and creativity through reading.
By understanding the unique cultures in our country and around the world, children can also learn about the diversity in our country and the history of our culture so that they do not repeat the same mistakes.
“Through reading, children get to learn new things. Children, who are our future leaders, must enjoy reading and consider books as friends, and parents and teachers are required to lend their support and encouragement so that this thought is instilled in children,” said former President U Htin Kyaw in his opening remarks at the Children’s Literatry Festival, held on 25 June in Tachilek.
Parents and teachers must have reading rooms for children and establish libraries for children so they can read and have access to good books.
Besides, literary festivals provide knowledge about children’s and youth literature to families, enthusiasts, and professionals to enable and support literacy and an understanding of the world.
Authors must write appropriate, knowledgeable, and thought-strengthening books on different topics for children, who have fresh minds and make use of all their unexplored skills in reading and in writing.
Children who read a lot have a deeper insight on different topics and through reading, they can broaden their horizon and explore what is not known to them.
When reading becomes a hobby, children will avoid walking on the wrong path, swayed by social media, and will find opportunities for a better future.
To reach that goal, we need to set up libraries in every village, and parents and teachers must bring children there. Helping our children will build the future of our country. Let’s build strong children through reading.-GNLM
