Minister for Education Mahendra Reddy said books and reading were important because of their significance to education.

“What we are celebrating today is what the world perceives as the greatest equaliser in education, which is books and reading,” Mr Reddy said.

Mr Reddy was speaking yesterday at the opening of the World Book Day which was well attended by over 200 parents and children at the Fiji Museum in Suva.

Mr Reddy said people must challenge themselves to discover the pleasure and joy of reading.

“Books are perhaps the most important component of a child’s educational life and books over time, books have laid the foundation for knowledge and information sharing,” he said.

Year 10 pupil Norbert Fisher echoed what most of the students gathered at the commemoration.

“World Book Day to me means it’s about knowledge and learning about the world and that reading is important,” said Norbert.

World Book Day is being celebrated around the world and Mr Reddy said it must be understood that Fiji was one of the countries that had cases of illiteracy and the crux of the matter as such, relied on education which triggers from basic literacy.

He said that without books and reading, education was unattainable.

To commemorate the work of authors, illustrators and librarians, four books were also launched by Mr Reddy.

The books are Aryan Avatars by Mahendra Sukdeo, A Fiji Dairy by Vijendra Kumar, Once Upon a Time in Fiji by Daryl Tarte, and Regulating Fiji’s Coastal Fisheries Policy by the Fiji Law Environment Association.

Entertainment, oratory, quiz, face painting activities, food and book stalls were also on display at the event.  It coincided as well with the Na Koro Market.

The theme for the celebration was ‘Books Empower.’

Edited by Rusiate Mataika

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