The importance of reading

In Brazil, today, there are only 5% of active readers, which means that around 190 million do not have the habit of reading...

The 1988 Federal Constitution (the most important document in Brazil) provides, in its 6th article, the right to education as inherent to every Brazilian citizen. However, this prerogative has not reverberated with an emphasis on practice when education is observed, making it difficult – in this way – the universalization of education and, consequently, of reading. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the factors that favor this situation.

In the first analysis, it should be noted the absence of government measures to combat the lack of reading. Even though there are many education theorists, such as Rousseau, Paulo Freire, Ivan Illich, or even thinkers who have been concerned with education for millennia, such as, for example, Plato, the Brazilian government is not concerned with truly being willing to do of education and, therefore, of reading, a matter of the first order. It means that, unfortunately, the aforementioned constitution is not put into practice, even though it is the government's duty to promote and develop the superior mental faculties that are developed, above all, by reading.

In addition, it is essential to point out the tradition of Brazilian culture that does not have the habit of frequent reading (especially on complex topics such as philosophy, foreign literature and science), since in Brazil, today, there are only 5% of active readers - who read one book a week – which means that around 190 million Brazilians do not have a consistent reading habit. Given the above, there is no interest by the population in reading, just as there is no government initiative to repair this unacceptable condition.

It appears, therefore, the need to overcome such facts. For this, it is imperative that the government, through incentives from various sectors — public or private —, make more investment of the GDP available, in the case of the public, in education and create [with this] literary competitions for writing and reading, in order to to encourage students to seek knowledge through reading.

Thiago Carvalho.

Psicólogo e pós-graduando em neuropsicologia.