The Beam County School Ghana at Ga Odumase near Pokuase in the Ga North Municipality observed this year’s World Book Day last Friday to encourage a culture of reading among its pupils.
The programme, held under the theme “Readers are leaders,” featured choreographies by the pupils, dress-ups to mimic characters from their favourite books, and the presentation of books to some deserving pupils.
World Book Day is celebrated globally on April 23 each year to raise awareness about the importance of reading.
The Headteacher of Beam County School Ghana, Ms Linder Osei, explained that the programme was designed to help students appreciate the value of reading and develop a lifelong reading habit.
“Reading broadens students’ horizons and knowledge while exposing them to new perspectives. It also helps improve their language skills,” Ms Osei said.
She emphasised the significance of the theme, stating, “As the theme ‘Readers are Leaders’ suggests, reading is the path to leadership. We are encouraging all students to embrace reading because it is key to success.”
As part of the programme, students dressed up as their favourite book characters, which Ms Osei said helped them connect more deeply with the stories they were reading.
“This experience has made reading more engaging for the children. We’ve seen improvements in their speech and writing as a result of this programme,” she noted.
Ms Osei also encouraged students to build their vocabulary, advising them to consult a dictionary whenever they encounter unfamiliar words.
She said her outfit decided to mark the occasion earlier because it would be on vacation during the official period in April.
In an interview, the Director of the School, Mr Aaron Osei Debrah, said the school, which runs from crèche to Junior High School, was established in 2012 to provide quality and practical education to children in the community.
He mentioned that the school was affiliated with Beam County School in London, United Kingdom, and offered foundation programmes in Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOFEL) and International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for students from Class 5 onwards who wished to pursue further education abroad.
Mr Debrah highlighted the school’s conducive learning environment and practical approach to education and said the school boasts of a well-equipped computer library, a listening room for foreign language courses, and a playground.
He also said the school has a swimming pool where pupils are taught basic swimming skills.
Mr Debrah encouraged parents seeking quality education for their children to consider enrolling them at Beam County School Ghana.
Some of the pupils who spoke in an interview with The Ghanaian Times said the Book Day had helped whip up their interest in reading and also said they were happy enrolling at Beam Country School Ghana because the school had better facilities and good teachers.