In an initiative to revive reading habits among the children, the head master of government primary school at Vallanadu in Thootukudi district has taken up the ‘Doorstep School Library’ initiative during the summer holidays.

The ‘Doorstep school library’ (veedu thedi varum palli noolagam) was designed by S. Sivakumar, former principal, District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), Kanchipuram. The main objective of the programme is to foster reading skills by taking school library books directly to their homes.

As part of the initiative, activity based books distributed through the school education department are being widely used. The books are classified into levels ‘enter, walk, run and fly,’ to gradually inculcate reading habits, starting from basic to advanced levels.

A. Mary Stella, headmaster, Government Primary School, Vallanadu told The Hindu that many children move away from regular studies during summer holidays, leading to decline in reading ability and learning skills among many students.

She added that the books from the library were being taken to designated residential areas on each day and from there students could borrow books. Details of the student, parent and contact numbers are recorded and books are advised to return on the next day.

Ms. Stella noted that she had interacted with the parents to exhort children’s reading habits, which could divert their attention from smart phones and television.

As a zero cost educational initiative, the books were taken from the school library and initiative has been well received among the parents and children, she noted.

Thoothukudi district Chief Educational Officer R. Sangeetha Chinna Rani said that the initiative would be further expanded to government and aided middle schools in Kovilpatti block from Friday (May 22). She added that Kovilpatti has 24 middle schools, and on pilot basis each school would distribute books to two students.

She added that there were adequate books under ‘Vasippu Iyakkam’ established in schools and those would be used for the initiative.

Ms. Rani noted that students could reach their respective schools and collect their books, after returning the previously borrowed ones.