Turning trash to cash to improve literacy rate
MIRI: The Leo Club of Riam Road Secondary School (RRSS), a progressive Chinese independent school continues its exemplary deed of turning trash to cash to support Malaysia’s and global effort in conserving the environment while increasing the literacy rate.
To mark this year’s International Literacy Day, the club donated books in English, Chinese and Malay worth RM3,017.40 to the school’s library recently.
Organising chairperson Eric Wong Kiing Hung said the money was raised from Leo Club’s sale of old newspapers and its stall during the school food fair.
“These two projects are the major source of funds for our Leo Club to purchase books and other items like a computer, stationery, white boards, PA system and laminating machine for the school library,” he said yesterday.
Eric added that the donation of books and other items to the school library was not limited to International Literacy Day as books, magazines and other items were also donated at other times of the year.
Leo Club president Wong Qin Yi said: “RRSS students should be grateful that they are literate. Thus they should enjoy reading books. The Leo Club’s vision and mission is to help build up our school library.”
The school’s CEO Dato’ Dr Fong Onn Min commended its Leo Club for its commitment to projects like recycling old newspapers to raise funds to stock up the school’s library.
Since 2011, the club has been selling old newspapers for cash almost on a monthly basis.
“One vision of Riam Road Secondary School is to train our students to be global citizens and to be aware of projects and activities celebrated all over the world. An example is this celebration of International Literacy Day.” said Dr Fong.
International Literacy Day is celebrated annually on Sept 8 all around the world.
According to Unesco, this year’s theme ‘Literacy in a digital world’ highlighted the challenges and opportunities in promoting literacy in the digital world where, despite progress, at least 750 million adults and 264 million out-of-school children still lack basic literacy skills.
In Malaysia according to a recent report by Bernama quoting National Library of Malaysia director-general Datuk Nafisah Ahmad, although the country’s literacy rate is almost 95 per cent, the reading habits of its people is still somewhat lacking.
“On average, every Malaysian only reads 15 books in a year based on an interim study the National Library conducted in 2014. Our focus now is on developing a Malaysian society with an improved reading habit,” said Nafisah.