Event: About 3,000 students from 33 schools under Thimphu dzongkhag participated at the reading awareness programme at the clock tower square on May 23.

The programme began with students walking and reading from a designated point towards the clock tower square in an hour.

A teacher with Changzamtog Lower Secondary School performed a model reading by reading aloud for about 15 minutes.

According to senior thromde education officer, Lham Tshering, the programme was organised to enhance reading culture in the school and community, to create a platform for an exchange program and make reading solidarity, among others.

A fifth grade student of Rinchen Kuenphen Primary School, Gaelek Yangzom said that among the many habits, reading is considered as one of the most important, healthy and productive habit. “It is only the readers who write and become writers, thus it is only the readers and writers who become leaders,” she said

National Council’s chairperson Dasho Sonam Kinga, who joined the students as the chief guest said he started reading when he was in fifth grade and that he has been reading for about 30 years. He told the students that his reading interest grows every day and the habit helps him when serving the nation.

A teacher with Kueselphodrang primary school, Kuenzang Yangden is hopeful that the reading year and programmes would help her students pick up reading. “There are quite a lot of children in my school who never read and the programme has started to encourage many students to read.”

By Dechen Tshomo

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