Many of us will agree that as a people, we do not like to read.

Indeed, it is often said that if someone wants to hide something from us the best place to put it is in a book. This lack of reading has very little to do with the illiteracy rate among us. The fact is that those who are able just do not read as much as they should.

This of course could be attributed to the technological age, where people seem to find it more convenient to download bits of information from the Internet than read it in a book. Women and girls no longer boast to each other about curling up in bed with a good book. Now, they do so with their cellphones.

In all probability, Caymanas Park may soon topple the school as the place where the most purposeful reading is carried out.

I am not here endorsing horse racing, but let's face it, the image of a punter religiously glued to a race form or programme can hardly be bettered in the classroom!

Perhaps the school more than any other institution, should try to re-focus students on the path of reading. Granted, they are beset with an alarming rate of illiteracy and lack of adequate resources, but the effort must be placed here as it was before. We should not falter on this one.

school libraries

In many instances, the existence and operation of school libraries is like a joke. There is inadequate space in many institutions to carry out reading activity. Our national library service does not have the books to distribute to the schools. They will tell you that their stock has been depleted by hurricanes of the past. They will also tell you that a number of books reported missing or unaccounted for is due to the simple fact that the students have stolen them. There is the need to find a solution for this state of affairs.

If we are to get back on track with reading there is the need to give support to our local authors. It would be a good gesture if during this fiftieth year of our independence, every effort is made to encourage them and to showcase their work. This is especially important if they write from a social and cultural perspective.

If we are to reclaim the prominence of reading in the society we need a close collaboration between institutions, for example, the school and the home. Parents need to be told over and over again to read to their children at home and to buy books as presents for them.

Reading in the schools must be an everyday, twice-a-day affair. The yearly 'Read Across Jamaica Day' should be fully embraced in not just the schools but in private corporations and in the homes as well.

But what about the technology? Should we just simply bash it or cast it aside? No, I am suggesting that both need to co-exist and to be utilised appropriately, but not one to the detriment of the other.

Whatever happened to that famous quote by Sir Francis Bacon: Reading maketh a full man (or woman). As a nation, we do not seem to realise what we are missing.

Question, comments, observation? You can email me at elgin1225@yahoo.co.uk