Government to promote a love of reading
Print Edition
CHINA is seeking public opinion on a draft ordinance that will promote “reading for all,” a move aimed at creating better reading habits.
The wish to instill a love of reading among the nation’s citizens has been expressed in an array of important government and Party documents, including a report at the Party’s 18th National Congress and government work reports delivered at the annual parliamentary session over the past four years.
There are still problems, however, which need to be resolved with the legislation, such as a lower reading rate compared to other major countries, inadequate and inequitable public resources, and reading materials of variable quality.
A national survey by the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication showed that Chinese citizens read 3.26 e-books and 4.58 paper books on average in 2015, compared to an average of 16 books in Europe and the United States. Many major developed countries have resorted to legislation to boost reading.
The US introduced the Reading Excellence Act in 1998 and the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002.
South Korea and Japan have also introduced laws to promote reading.
The draft ordinance, which was released by the State Council’s legislative affairs office, states that governments at or above county level should incorporate reading programs into their economic and social development plans, as well as in their annual budgets.
The draft encourages schools and academies to open up their libraries to the public, and calls on brick-and-mortar bookstores to provide customers with space to read and organized reading activities.
In addition, poor, remote and border regions, as well as those inhabited mainly by ethnic minority groups, are expected to get special support under the draft.
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