KATHMANDU: I have a deep passion for reading. It has been more than two decades since I became an annual subscriber to daily newspapers like Kantipur, The Kathmandu Post, and several local daily newspapers. In the past, I regularly read weeklies like Himal, Nepal, and Samaya, as well as Hakahaki, a monthly magazine related to the environment. Those publications have since ceased publication. Currently, I am a regular reader of the monthly magazines Shikshak and Nari. I do not merely read them myself; I frequently urge my fellow teachers, “Even if you do not have time to read anything else, you must read Shikshak magazine.”

Along with newspapers, I actively encourage my fellow teachers to read books. I advise them to venture into the world of letters, emphasizing that reading refines our language and writing while helping to develop a reading culture among students.

While it might not make much difference if professionals in other fields do not read newspapers and books regularly, educators must read regularly to improve their teaching methods. Nowadays, due to easy access to communication technology, everyone is absorbed in social media. The attraction toward newspapers and books is declining. However, in an era where the culture of reading is gradually disappearing, the value and importance of newspapers and books have increased even more. This is because the information and updates available on social media are not only superficial and incomplete, but there is also a rampage of false and misleading content. It is difficult for the general public to distinguish between what is true and what is false. Without the “life jacket” of digital literacy, social media users risk drowning in a toxic digital world.

Reading newspapers and books naturally imparts knowledge and wisdom, while also expanding our imagination and sharpening our creativity. It connects us with new subjects, methods, technologies, and the world at large.

For us teachers, books and magazines serve as valuable professional tools. Books help broaden our understanding, gather new information to stay updated, impart the latest knowledge to students, and teach using modern methods and technology.

A teacher’s reading habit inspires students to read as well. Teachers who immerse themselves in the world of letters not only share the wisdom gathered from the realm of knowledge with their students, but students may also take the initiative to dive into the world of books after being guided or seeing their teachers read.

In recent times, the necessity of the Nepali language has been growing in private schools. Alongside Nepali, Social Studies is also taught in the Nepali language. Under these circumstances, it is not enough for students to learn solely from teachers at school; parents at home must also act as facilitators. My grandson, who studies in Grade 10, regularly reads books after dinner. He reads aloud to me—sometimes adolescent fiction, and at other times non-fiction, biographies, and travel memoirs that I have already finished reading. Reading books outside the curriculum expands students’ vocabulary. These books spark interest in and understanding of various subjects, which naturally fosters a reading culture.

Although books are crucial for teachers, reading books and magazines is not a priority even for the majority of those who teach language and literature. Easy access to technology has ensnared almost everyone, including educators, in the maze of social media. Because the reading culture is disappearing among teachers who bear the responsibility of shaping students into future pillars of the nation, formal education is becoming weak and blunted.

Teachers are called agents of social transformation. However, teachers who lack a reading habit remain distant from modern knowledge and science, thereby lacking transformative power. A knowledge-hungry teacher develops and expands a reading culture among their students, whereas a non-reading teacher transfers that same habit to their students. Among the numerous reasons for the lack of reading culture among students, the passivity of teachers is undoubtedly one.

To make teaching and learning engaging, teachers must read books beyond their prescribed textbooks. The knowledge gained from teacher-focused magazines and books not only refines the art of teaching but also positively impacts a teacher’s overall personality development. When students do not get to hear words of wisdom and knowledge beyond rote textbook lessons from their teachers, a sense of disillusionment with school education itself can take root.

Daily and monthly newspapers occasionally publish book reviews. These reviews inspire readers to pick up books. I personally select books after reading reviews published in newspapers. Sometimes, after reading a book review on social media, I order the book online.

Reading books regularly also opens doors to new possibilities and talents for readers. Over time, several readers emerge as writers. I rank myself among such readers. In the past, retired readers as well as those who spent their energetic years in the teaching profession have now become full-time writers. Readers who read regularly not only sharpen themselves and enhance their writing capabilities, but they also contribute to developing a reading culture by nurturing new readers.

To explain why one should read books and newspapers and to foster a reading culture, publishing houses must coordinate and collaborate with educational institutions. Furthermore, the education department under local governments should deliver magazines like Shikshak to every school and issue circulars to headmasters to periodically conduct discussion programs around them. A vibrant reading culture among teachers and students is what ultimately makes teaching and learning effective and practical for life.