Major Finding of Our Survey

The Questionnaire-based Survey Method and Interviews have been adopted for collecting data for this project. The study was carried out by 25 members of the Readers Club. The individual teams carried out the survey among 378 students from 25 different schools in Palakkad. Managers of three leading bookshops in Palakkad were interviewed. The Principal of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kanjikode and TGT English of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kanjikode were also interviewed by the teams.

• The majority of the teachers and students were of the opinion that the reading habit is declining among the students. Almost all the students agreed that reading is important for students.

• Though the respondents’ mother tongue was mostly Malayalam, their preferred language for reading was English. The second most widely read language by both teachers and students was Malayalam as the majority of the respondents have Malayalam as their mother tongue. The need for getting the students to read books in Hindi was really felt, while analyzing the results of our survey. Both our School Library and the Public Library we visited  have a very good collection of books in Hindi and it is really sad that these books are underutilized. Steps need to be taken to create an interest among the students in Hindi literature.

• Quite surprisingly, reading topped the list of preferred leisure activity, pushing sports and television to the second and third positions respectively. The people we interviewed and the teachers whom we surveyed agreed that there is a lot of improvement in the reading habit of students in the last few years.

• The major reason indicated by the teachers for the declining reading habit was lack of interest and motivation, whereas the students indicated lack of time as the main reason. 

• Over 40% students read for information and for improving their general knowledge, while 35.71% read for pleasure.

• About half of the students who responded read more than twice a week. Only 10% reported that they rarely read. More than half of the respondents read for more than an hour.

•  Based on the responses received from the students and the teacher-parents, it was evident that the most preferred category of reading materials are comics and story books.

• Majority of the students do not read newspapers and magazines regularly. The mostliked section in the newspaper is the Sports Section, followed by International News. It is quite surprising that the students do not seriously read the newspapers and magazines and they do not seem to be aware of its potential usefulness.

• About half of the respondents just pick up a book for reading. A good number of students are influenced by their friends’ opinion for selecting a book for reading and they also depend on book reviews. More than 50% do not write a review of the books they have read.

• E-books are yet to have an impact on the majority of the students. Majority reported that they do not like to read books online. Both the students and the teachers reported that the School library is the main source for getting the library materials. A large number of students still depend on the School Library for their need-based information, though majority use Internet as the main source. More than half of the students do not visit any other library. The information clearly points to the important role played by the School Library in fostering Reading Habit among students and the need for the school libraries to be well equipped to cater to the needs of the student community.

• The majority of students visit the library only during the specified library periods. Borrowing books is the main reason for visiting the library and mostly novels and stories are taken home by the students.

• Majority of the students are satisfied with the collection of their respective School Libraries.

• Though the teachers of different schools almost unanimously said that the Reading Habit is declining, only 41% said that they discussed books in their classroom regularly. All the teachers agreed that the KVS Library Policy and CBSE Reading Project had a high positive impact on the reading habit of children, which was reiterated by the Principal and the English Teacher we interviewed. As reported by the Librarian, PublicLibrary, Palakkad, the Reading Contest organized by the Kerala State Library Council has helped in improving the reading habits of the students in the state as a whole.