Students across the country are set to benefit from a partnership between The New Times Publications and various corporate companies that seek to introduce scholars to daily newspapers as learning aids.
Students across the country are set to benefit from a partnership between The New Times Publications and various corporate companies that seek to introduce scholars to daily newspapers as learning aids.
The maiden campaign will start with students of at Lycée de Kigali, which will be sponsored by East African Granite Industries (EAGI) to receive TNT copies for a year.
Video: TNT, EAGI partner to promote reading campaign. Source: The New Times/YouTube
Under the partnership agreement, students at the Nyarugenge District-based school will receive copies of The New Times daily for one year courtesy of sponsorship by EAGI.
The campaign, dubbed "Newspapers in Education,” is aimed at introducing a reading culture in the country by going beyond traditional methods of education, which only involves classroom sessions and academic content.
Following the launch of the initiative, The New Times will partner with corporations, which will sponsor schools throughout the country – at discounted rates – to supply them with daily copies of the newspaper, published in English, and a chance to hone their writing skills by contributing to the paper’s pullouts.
Hilary Habimana, the editor of the Education Times, said newspapers are a resourceful teaching aid that can be applied to any subject at all levels as they replicate the real world in classrooms.
He urged other corporations to consider being part of the initiative as a corporate social responsibility as it would have an impact on the country’s reading culture.
Lycée de Kigali head teacher Martin Masabo said the campaign was timely coming at a time there are nationwide efforts to promote reading culture among the youth.
"The reading culture in the country is lacking. Rwanda is more of an oral society. The campaign is very critical in terms of promoting the reading and writing culture among the young generation,” Masabo said.
He said the campaign was a positive contribution toward the school’s ambition of becoming an academic centre of excellence.
Andrew Kulayige, the general manager of EAGI, said his firm was committed to promoting the reading culture in the country as a way to successfully bridge the existing gaps in education.
He added that their support to the initiative was a way to build a well enlightened society that is strongly updated with what is going on in and outside their country.
"There is a traditional way of educating students and there is that initiative you need from students to get information. Students can’t get all information just from sitting in class or from the teacher,” Kulayige said.
EAGI, a manufacturer of tiles and granite processing firm, pledged to keep following up and participating in the reading culture as well as promote debate among students on what they have read in the papers.
Rebecca Mugeni, a Lycée de Kigali student, said they were upbeat as they would have access to more learning materials.
"The newspaper will update us on what is currently going on around the world, while weekly magazines such Education Times will equip us with necessary skills to excel in our academics,” Mugeni said.
The sponsorship deal comes days ahead of the school’s 40th anniversary celebrations, on July 31, under the theme, "Educating to empower the nation.”
editorial@newtimes.co.rw