Education is recognized all over the world as a veritable instrument for personal, community, state and national development. It equips the individual with marketable skills, appropriate attitudes for adjusting meaningfully into the society and contributing to its growth. Education is expected to serve societal needs and help to actualize the five objectives envisioned in the current National Plan – a united, strong and self-reliant nation, a great and dynamic economy, a just and egalitarian society, a land, bright and full of opportunities for all and a free and democratic society.
In recognition of this important role of education to human growth and development, the National Policy on Education and the United Nations declared education a fundamental right of every individual. This goes to suggest that for free and compulsory basic education to be successful, government must, among other things, provide educational tools and information to guide children in school and the most important educational tool in schools are books.
Since Cadmus, the Phoenician, invented books, its power over man has been so mysterious and perhaps inexplicable. Our books, in so many ways, are ourselves, our characters. It was reported that the Philosopher, Plato, was found dead with a book under his pillow while the great Petrarch died in his library with his elbow resting upon an open page. These great men found in books something more than solace. It was, for them, a way of touching eternity.
A book, therefore, is the medium through which we see the world. It helps to make order out of disorder. Those who observe nature say that of all the beautiful things in the world, there may be no more pleasing picture than the face of a child peering into a book.
Books are regarded by many as an essential ingredient in the development of any nation. In books, too, are embedded progressive ideas, scientific and technological breakthroughs that have helped change society.
A book, a good book, is like a net in which we catch glimpses of reality. Through it, men find their lives. Books offer plethora of information and entertainment.
Coming nearer home, it can be said without any fear of contradiction that books are the soul of education. Without books, formal education cannot take place. Having unfettered access to books will help in no small measure to make it possible for children to have an enriched training. When books are scarce and their costs prohibitive, the quality of educational training nose dives to sure death and as such violates the child’s right to be educated.
Unfortunately, with the astronomical rise in cost of books, and the untoward influence of mobile phones, the campaign to encourage reading as a popular habit has received a serious blow. In a nation where literacy rate is below average, this calls for urgent attention by all concerned.
As people continue to appeal to government to relax measures as it affects importation of educational materials, the publishing companies should help improve the future of the book industry by reducing the cost of books. When prices of books are reduced, it is expected that more sales would be recorded. Publishers can also embark on domestication of materials using local authors and local colours. School authorities and publishers have to create a platform where books can be sold to parents and learners directly thereby circumventing cut-throat book dealers in the market.
Surely, within education lies one of the greatest hopes to bring about a more active and universal expression of human goodness which lies at the heart of every human being. Right education from infancy plays a major part in the triumph of spiritual and family values and the establishment of a resultant era of right human relations. Through right and qualitative education, the young will be given the needed initial direction which will lead them to a personal life of deeper meaning, purpose and resultant happiness.
SIR EMEKA ANAETOH
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