DILI, 27 september 2023 (TATOLI) –The Secretary of State Arts and Culture (SoSAC) today held a literacy competition with the theme “Papel Foinsa’e iha Mundu Literasi iha Timor-Leste,” which focuses on senior high school students to develop young people’s interest in reading.
The General Director of Arts and Culture, Manuel Smith, emphasized that the objective of the literacy competition for young people is part of SoSAC’s policy to promote student ability and enhance knowledge of literacy skills among the younger generation.
“Through this competition, they can explore their knowledge on a variety of topics. It is to improve their communication skills, increase their comprehension, and expose them to the circumstances around them. “One of the main goals of literacy competitions for young people is to improve their interest in reading and writing skills,” said Manuel Smith at CNC Balide this Wednesday.
According to him, literacy competitions provide opportunities for young people to develop reading, writing, and critical thinking skills.
The National Director of Libraries and Museums, João Fatima da Cruz Souza, explained that this activity is carried out every year and is focused on promoting libraries and reading culture among young people.
“This year, we are only conducting this competition in Dili. Actually, there should be 18 schools, composed of technical schools and public high schools, with a total of 38 students. However, only eight schools are taking part in the competition, with a total of 16 students. They are eligible for this competition; currently, the judges are ready to listen and evaluate their performance based on each topic,” he said.
It is known that the participants would gain certificates, and the five top winners would award trophies and prizes in the form of money in different nominal amounts. The total funds for the competition were worth $7,500.
São Pedro Comoro High School (SMA) student Arnaldo Horta thanked SoSAC for holding the competition and providing the opportunity to show their talents, increase their interest in reading, and build the habit of habit reading.
“I am very happy because I can represent my school here. In today’s digital era, many young people are more interested in social media and electronic entertainment than reading books or writing. Literacy competitions can help change this perception by providing positive experiences in reading and writing,” explained Arnaldo Horta.
He hopes that with this competition, he can get an advantage, and it is a pleasure to read books, write stories or essays, and share ideas with other people.
Journalist: José Belarmino de Sá
Editor: Rafael Ximenes de A. Belo
