Identifying the Reading Habits among Secondary School Students in Northern and Eastern Provinces in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Reading removes educational barriers, allowing more equal chances in education by promoting language development, intellectual training and enhancing the possibility of adjustment to one’s personal situations. Education is a deliberate act and a systematic process of learning and it generate knowledge, attitudes, skills and critical, innovation mind through the practice of reading. Bamberger (1975) mentioned that the development of life-long reading interests and reading habits is a constant process and begins at home, improves systematically in the school, culture and public education. The school pupils’ interest in reading books and their settings show the type and the procedure of acquiring information. This study addressed the main situation of reading and reading preferences of secondary school students in Northern and Eastern Provinces, Sri Lanka. This study is very important because a research of this nature has not been conducted in Northern and Eastern provinces in recent past. Survey method was applied for this research and structured questionnaire was prepared and data collected from the sample of students which selected from various schools in Northern and eastern provinces. People of Northern and Eastern provinces suffered due to the conflict situation for more than three decades. National Library and Documentation Services Board (NLDSB) conducted this survey with the objective of understanding the situation of reading habit of school children in Northern and Eastern provinces. It helps to understand the situation of reading habit and plan solutions to the problems related to reading habit and library facilities in Northern and Eastern provinces. Findings of this survey will be helpful for the future programme of educational development programmes.