12-day reading marathon for students launched

TIRUCHY: As a part of the ongoing Illam Thedi Kalvi, the state government has introduced a ‘Reading Marathon’ to encourage the students to develop their reading skills, where the volunteers would download the google readalong app and support the students, said Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi here on Wednesday.

Launching the programme at the Corporation School at Bhagavathipuram in Tiruverumbur, the minister said the reading marathon programme, planned from June 1 to 12 across the State, would help the students to augment their reading habits during their annual vacation. “The scheme has been programmed through Google and initially the volunteers of Illam Thedi Kalvi would download the read-along app and help encourage the students in developing their reading skills,” the minister said.

He said there are 1.81 volunteers for the programme and 33 lakh students across the State would participate. “In Tiruchy, as many as 6,110 volunteers and 1.2 lakh students are taking part,” said the minister.

Stating that the app-based programme would have simple works in developing the reading skills among the students, the minister said the volunteers were asked to commence the 12-day programme immediately and would make it a successful one. “The students would be encouraged to spend their holidays in a fruitful way which also would support learning habits,” he said adding “parents should also be part of the movement and should download the app on their mobile phones and help their kids to enhance the reading skills. District Collector S Sivarasu, Chief Educational Officer R Balamurali and others were also present on the occasion.