New push to boost children's interest in reading

A recent survey into the reading habits of pupils in forms 4, 6 and 9 indicates that one third of Faroese schoolchildren do not read at all in their leisure time.

Now the people behind the survey have compiled a report with suggestions on how to solve this problem.

The report, titled "Føroyar lesa 2020" (“Reading in the Faroe Islands 2020”), contains 12 recommendations on concrete actions.

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The four authors also propose a more comprehensive study into the reading habits of Faroese schoolchildren. One of the recommendations seeks to analyse how lessons in Faroese are conducted, especially for the younger pupils.

The authors also suggest that more books should be published, that every school should have a library and that existing school libraries should be given higher priority.

A dedicated national reading campaign could go a long way towards solving the reading problem, the authors add.

Digital reading

Compiling all reading materials of interest to children into a children’s portal could make it easier to access it, the report suggests.

Last year’s survey revealed that entire year groups display a positive attitude towards reading while others do not. This has prompted the authors to propose another survey for the 2021-2022 school year to clarify why this is so.

An annual children’s book day could also help shed light on the problem, the report concludes.

Translated by prosa.fo