The competition which aimed at enriching the abilities of pupils to excel in reading and to engage the pupils in the festival celebration was organised on Wednesday by Osu Doku Circuit 29, Infinity 970 and Ink It Foundation.
Held on the theme “Read for Life,” the reading and language festival engaged five clusters of schools (Salem cluster of School, Manhyia Cluster of school, Roman Cluster of school, Anglican Cluster of School and Ringway Cluster of School) in the competition from Osu Doku circuit which 36 pupils were selected to partake in the final of the competition slated for August, 30, 2018.
The names of the selected pupils were Bridget Badger, Gloria Barnor, Rose Obeng, Kelvin Manu, Prince Tetteh-Cole, Micheal Anagbla, Ruth Badu, Richard Simson, Phillip Botchwey, Nunya Glivey, Betty Annan, and Rebecca Otoo.
Others were Charles Cann, Edmund Ababio, Peter Armah, Jennifer Osei-Mensah, Noel Hyde, Emelia Adusu, Fedieley Ewoenam, Joana Abbey, Linda Okai, Vera Yawson, Sonia Ocquaye and Kelvin Kim.
The rest were Jeremiah Odoi, Enoch Kpabifio, Victoria Ocquaye, Naomi Awuletey, Micheal Kusi, Rahina Haruna, Nazihatu Mohammed, Christopher Abban, Eric Cann, Richard Tagoe and Emmanuel Essel.
The beneficiary pupils who were between the ages of four and 13 years took part in reading, storytelling, charade, word formation, quiz competition among others and they received reading materials and confectionaries.
Speaking at the festival, the Osu Doku Circuit Supervisor of Education, Ms Georgina Winifred Rabbles urged pupils to make reading a necessity to unleash their full potentials.
“Reading is important as it helps one to make decisive decisions. Through reading people realise their inwards talents that is vital to cushion humans in life therefore pupils should harbour the habit of reading,” she urged.
She indicated that reading makes man and it is a food to the soul hence pupils should read to enrich their mind and their communication ability.
Ms. Rabbles bemoaned that the inability of students to spell words or vocabulary and to fully understand the English language is associated with their failure to read.
She further stated that the reading and language festival was also organised to improve the performance of the pupils during their Basic Certificate Examination in order to help Osu Doku schools to boost their enrolment and to bring the pupils together to socialise and learn through fun.
Mr. Victor Odonkor, the Programme Coordinator of Infinity 970, advised the pupils to see reading as a source of life improvement that would open gate of opportunities for individuals’ career part.
He noted that reading serves as a link that propel the mind to discover abilities and provide tangible solutions to all forms of problems in the social world adding that “reading helps in the developmental agenda of the nation and pupils should not do away with it.”
Mr. Odonkor echoed the need for parents, guardians and teachers to come together to help pupils and youth to foster the habit of reading to help them become critical thinkers for them to offer solutions to real life problems.
