Cambodia promotes culture of reading and writing

Cambodia promotes Culture of Reading and Writing

by Chhorng Long Heng,
Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia and Australian Embassy to Phnom Penh on August 26 cooperated to conduct the opening of a Public Forum on Reading and Writing, held at National Library of Cambodia under Theme of the “open up their world through reading” to promote culture of reading and appreciate good writing among more Cambodians after they have paid much attention on the entertainment programs.



“ Reading is an easy and inexpensive way to expand one’s knowledge of one’s own and others’ cultures,” Australian Ambassador H.E. Margaret Adamson to Cambodia said in opening remark of the ceremony. She added that today’s donation of books will provide Cambodian students and researchers with direct access to Australian society and culture.



“I hope that through the books and resources in the National Library, Cambodians will discover more about the riches of their own cultural heritage, as well as that of other countries,” she said.



She added that Australia is continuing its long-standing support for national library that is one core of Cambodia ’s national cultural institutions. In the event, Ms Adamson also presented the National Library of Cambodia with a collection of books on contemporary aspects of Australia, including its biodiversity, climate change, media, literature, history, indigenous art and politics. We the readers can find new knowledge, new perspectives and new horizons. We become open to new ideas and new ways of seeing that we did not have before, she added.



“We the readers support the flourishing of the creative thinking and imagination of writers, poets and playwrights for collective enrichment of our minds,’ she stresses.



Australia ’s donation also included a complete record in hard copy and CD-ROM of all the Khmer language materials held in the National Library of Australia. The National Library of Australia houses one of the world’s largest and most actively developed research collections of Asian materials.



One of its rarest and most valuable holdings is a complete Khmer language translation of the Tripitaka, or Buddhist scriptures. The Public Forum also included displays of rare materials held by the National Library of Cambodia, as well as displays by Cambodian publishers, booksellers and other organizations involved in the promotion of reading and writing.



H.E. Thai Noraksatya, secretary of state for the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts said “ Reading and writing are core pillars to achieve academic success, increasing confidence in self-expression, which leads to continuous self-development.



“Today’s event is a mechanism for students, readers and researchers from all spheres to understand the importance of reading and writing.” He said., adding that the government has always supported in fields of reading and writing in the country and encouraged the people to dos so to strengthen the ability of human resources in literature areas for developing the country.



The ministry would like to thank to the Australian embassy’s contribution and support for works of culture, and literature in the country. At the same time, we also thanked to the UNESCO to Cambodia that always supported the fields of education as well as promoting culture of reading and writing in the country. He added that the ministry also has supported the national library to compile documents for researching and studying for learners. The ministry urged and encouraged the national institutions, NGOs and international partners to open more libraries for children and teenagers to promote reading and writing.



“The ministry also organized the annual competition of composition, writers, and authors, poet to promote the literature,” He said, adding that reading is culture of collecting new ideas and writings culture of producing ideas with experiences and own knowledge from reading and see real society in daily life. The reading is absorbing the ideas to develop readers themselves to get the prosperity in life.



In the debate forum, Ms Khlot Vibolla, director of the national library of Cambodia noted that number of readers is still limited number in the library. “Young learners do not like to read and write and they like entertaining,” she said, adding that that is also our concern in literature. “I hope this precious event will contribute strengthening the power of reading and writing in the country and tie the relationship between institutions and other institutions as well as exchanging the experiences and cooperation, culture of professionals. It will encourage young generation to read and write more,”she added.



She added that now, the national library has over 120,000 books written in Khmer English, French and other documents including magazines, newspapers, electronic documents, CD-Rom and Audio and they are available for readers and researchers.

Sok Heng, a student of University of Cambodia said today is globalization and IT time, we surf on internet for study work like assignments at school without going to library. We do not have enough time to read and do homework, he said. We like reading topic that needs for school and personal understanding only, he added.



According to census in 2008, number of Cambodian population is 14,494,293 in 2008 and the literacy rate of stood 73.6% among total population and people’s age in 15 and over can read and write and male literacy rate is 84.7% and female: 64.1%. Cambodian government and development partners is trying to help education system in the country and build schools near communities being easy for people to send their children to schools. ###

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