Public concerns are increasing about the efficiency of a VND230 billion (USD10.2 million) project intended to develop literacy and reading in Vietnam.

 

 

Few people go to the library to read 



The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will co-ordinate with several ministries and agencies including the Ministries of Finance, Education and Training, Information and Communication, Science and Technology to successfully implement the project.

The project is aimed at raising the rate of Vietnamese regularly reading from a current 30% to 40% in 2015 to an ambitious 65% by 2020. The campaign will also attempt to slash the numbers of those who don’t read at all from a current 26% to 20% this year to 15% by 2020. 

The project would also help upgrade a lot of libraries at district and provincial levels and school libraries as well as encourage families to buy more books.
 
However, doubts have been raised about the project.
 
Dr. Nguyen Manh Hung, general director of Thaihabook JSC said there wasn’t any obvious correlation between investing billions of VND in books and there being more readers. Actually addressing and meeting the tastes of modern-day readers was probably more of an issue.
 
Nguyen Quang Thach, the initiator of books for rural areas campaign said many people just like reading light romantic novels, and obviously publishers were keen to keep this part of the market well stocked.
 
“I’m afraid that the investment into this major campaign may be wasteful,” said Dr. Nguyen Manh Hung. “Most of books at state libraries are propaganda and only a few books seem to be popular. I’m worried that the project would foster publishers that concentrate on this,” he said.
 
Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam, chairman of the Hanoi Education Psychology Association, said, “It’s necessary to carefully study current reading habits and work out a plan on developing a reading culture.”
 
Hung emphasised the importance of studying people’s tastes in rural areas in order to provide them with books they actually want. He suggested books on agriculture cultivation, positive thinking, healthcare and books to stimulate people’s minds were equally as needed as books for pleasure.
 
Thach said, “My study showed that most Vietnamese readers are aged below18, so the project should carefully consider strategies to encourage adults to get involved, including reading competitions for villages.”
 

Several other experts said that the project organisers should be aware of the recent fast development of e-books so modern distribution methods are also addressed.

Dtinews