Ignite A Love For Books

 I scanned through several articles related to reading culture in Nepal. Interestingly, almost all of them concluded that these days, particularly among youths, reading culture has improved in comparison to the past. It is mainly because of the increased literacy rate, which is 77.4 per cent according to a 2023 survey - those articles highlighted. In addition, new technology and social media have also helped to create different book communities online to encourage reading habits in people. Is this really true? I asked myself.

Out of curiosity, I planned to investigate whether the college students in Damak, Jhapa, read books. I interviewed 20 students from the age group 18 to 22. What I found is quite shocking. Most of them could not name the book that they read last. Not only this, but they also do not know the English or Nepali books that have been recently published. Casually, I asked them if they knew who Subin Bhattarai, quite popular among youths for his romantic fictions, is; surprisingly, they were unaware of him. They stated that they read one to three books in a year. Some of them said they had read a book when they were in grade 12.

Common practice 

Among 20 students, only two seemed to read seriously. They were able to name the book that they had recently read. One said 'Nilo Prem' by Purushottam Bajagai and another said 'Life is What you Make it' by Preeti Shenoy. However, all of them univocally expressed their views on the importance of extensive reading. This reflects the common practice of rote learning in the context of Nepal. Such findings make me ponder, 'Has reading culture really been improved?' For most of the people whom I interviewed, reading is still related to reading course books alone. They looked bewildered when I asked them if they read out of syllabus books during their free time.

In the megacities such as Kathmandu, Pokhara or Biratnagar, more young people may engage in reading but only a few cities can show a complete picture of the country. Damak is a growing city where we can find a couple of public libraries. The schools and colleges also have their own library. Furthermore, there are several cafes with book corners in them. All this scenario shows is that people here have access to books if they want to. Additionally, the technology-friendly youths can access hundreds of e-books via their mobile phone. 

If city people are reluctant towards reading this way, what is the condition of village people? We are pretty aware that there are more village areas than city areas in Nepal, where people struggle to meet their means on an everyday basis. In such a situation, it is hard to believe village youths are familiar with reading culture.

While I am writing this article, I remember how reading culture is embedded in the school curriculum in Australia. I had observed many classes in a primary school in Victoria for my study purposes. From the early grades, students were encouraged to select books of their choice from the school library and they were assisted in reading those books. For older students, there was a 'reading challenge' programme which is named Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC). It would roughly run for six months, from March to September in the case of Victoria; the time varies from state to state. 

My observation showed that the reading challenge programme would encourage students to read a set number of books, i.e., 12. They could select the books of their interest. When they completed their reading goals, they would receive certificates and medals. In this way, reading seems to be a part of their learning. It may be because of this culture that I saw people reading in public places, such as on a train, on a bus or in parks. What was amazing was that even bus drivers would take their books out and read when the bus stopped briefly at the traffic lights.

On the other hand, the public education system in Nepali schools is examination-centered and textbook-based. Students believe in rote learning and they do not bother to read books apart from their course books. If the reading habit is not instilled at a young age, it will be very difficult to develop a reading culture once children grow up. 

Research 

When we consider private schools, we can find the situation much better in many of them. Children are encouraged to choose and read books from the very beginning of their schooling. This helps them to be independent readers later. The available research shows that there must be a home-school partnership to foster student learning. So, when reading comes, parents must also help their children choose the appropriate books. They must show interest in what children are reading or they can read together. This way, reading can be an enjoyable activity for children.

Therefore, it is not enough just to force reading on youths; instead, they must be introduced to books at an early age so that they can realise the wonder of words. Nobody can deny the fact that to be a good writer, one must be a good reader first. So, we need to support our students to be independent readers. It may not always be true that an improved literacy rate leads to improved reading culture. Along with this there are other factors to examine to achieve an expected result.   

(Published in an English Daily The Rising Nepal on Friday, December 12, 2025 ) 

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