Open a book and you half expect a flurry of magic dust to fly you away to a fantastical land. That is what words do. On their own, they are a solitary signifier but, brought together, words become an interpretation of reality, a plot to life, an accompanying chorus to the exquisite pleasure of reading.
In June 2014, the Ministry for Education and Employment published a National Literacy Strategy covering 2014-2019. While acknowledging the importance of literacy in social inclusion, the document outlined more than 100 measures aimed at improving literacy levels across different sectors of society, including the promotion of bilingualism and biliteracy, more reading time in the daily school timetable and the increased use of new technologies in the teaching and learning of literacy.
This is a valuable strategy, especially considering that Malta’s literacy rates are not a good read. In the Programme for International Student Assessment 2012, the percentage of 15-year-olds who were low achievers in reading literacy stood at 36 per cent, significantly higher than the EU average of 19 per cent. Also, in recent results obtained by Malta in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, the main reading score of Maltese 10-year-olds was, at 477, significantly lower than the international average, which stood at 500. The time spent reading across the curriculum in Malta was 42 hours less than the international average.
If it is implemented, the National Literacy Strategy should improve literacy rates. However, this strategy should be informed by one encompassing approach, that is to inspire a love of the written word. Because, ultimately, it is this love that makes children go beyond the first chapter of a collective reading experience in a classroom and which inspires in them an appreciation of reading as a solitary pleasure.
Since 1971, Sagħtar has been inspiring an appreciation and love of reading. Like the educational workbook The Young Listener before it, Sagħtar is also an educational tool used to encourage students to read and change their attitude from one that sees reading as part of the day’s homework to one that marvels at reading as an adventurous journey of discovery.
Yet, the future of this children’s magazine seems to be coming to an epilogue after the Malta Union of Teachers, which took charge of Sagħtar in 1976, decided to stop printing and is now in the process of evaluating the magazine’s format and future. This reconsideration is due to the magazine becoming a financial burden.
Admittedly, any commercial venture should generate a profit. However, in the case of reading, the returns go beyond monetary value. Reading is the foundation of education, economic well-being and democracy and helps us achieve our potential as human beings.
In the Budget 2016, the government committed funds to various literacy programmes, including Read with Me and Read As Much As You Can, as well as to other initiatives: €135,000 for the National Book Festival, €75,000 for the band music traineeship scheme, €150,000 for the children’s breakfast club and €100,000 for the acquisition of books. The National Literacy Agency has a budget of €650,000 and €27,500,000 were allocated for maintenance grants.
The private industry also invests in education – bidders taking part in the tablet pilot project invested about €200,000 worth of equipment and software. Surely, a similar investment can save Sagħtar.
Within a wider economic context, we are being constantly told how the economy is performing well. If this is the case, then we should be investing in the future and giving young generations further reading opportunities.