It is true that the habit of reading is on the decline among school children. It is a very bad situation because books are the keys to a world of knowledge and fantasy. Many students say that they did not have free time to read books. This is due to many reasons. There is a stiff competition among school children to get through examinations today. Children have no time to read because they attend tuition classes after school, almost every day. Television too is a great obstacle to the reading habit. Another is the scarcity of books in most school libraries and the high cost of books in the market. When we read books we come across different characters. Some characters are exemplary. Reading helps us spend our lives in a useful manner.
A book can be regarded as a good companion. Francis Bacon said, “Reading maketh a full man.” There’s a lot of truth in that great saying. Reading helps people, especially students to gain knowledge. Parents should encourage their children to cultivate the habit of reading.
Sithuni Yatharthana Perera,
Grade 8,
Dhammissara National School,
Nattandiya.