Apostolos Kouroupakis
In recent days, there has been much discussion, particularly on social media, regarding our country's position on philagognosia (love of reading). I must remind you that we rank second to last in the European Union in this area. Of course, this concern quickly faded from public discourse, and society moved on to other pressing issues in Cyprus, of which there are many. This is expected, and I’m not surprised—it’s part of the routine.
While browsing a popular platform over the past few days to gauge interest in this topic, I found only a few references. I figured the issue had been dismissed, and, as usual, it will likely resurface when it becomes urgent again. During my search, however, I stumbled upon a post mentioning that, with the start of the new school year, some philology teachers had begun asking colleagues, friends, and others for photocopies or PDF versions of various literary books to use in class.
This led me to wonder how a philologist—a specialist in language and literature—doesn’t have their own copies of the literary works they need for teaching. How is it possible that they wait until the school year begins to engage with a book, read it, and only then teach it?
We’re not talking about rare or out-of-print works that are difficult to find. These are books that have been taught in our schools for years. Why aren’t teachers going to bookstores to purchase these books or searching for electronic versions that they can use in the classroom in multiple ways?
Do our schools even use the available digital media to showcase these books? Do teachers demonstrate to students that books are available in digital format and show them how to access them?
Of course, there’s also the issue of copyright, which is often violated when entire books are photocopied or reproduced electronically. Those who opt for this easy route don’t consider that this practice is illegal and subject to criminal prosecution. There are legitimate solutions, and teachers certainly have the resources to purchase one or two books. If they don’t, they should be pressuring the Ministry of Education to enrich school libraries, utilize new technologies, and integrate books more deeply into their teaching—not just as educational tools, but as part of their daily work.
Everyone involved in the school system, whose role is to inspire and guide students, should reflect on this. Otherwise, we should stop talking about literacy, reading, love for books, and the lack of special programs from the Ministry of Education.
The love for books and reading, the need for study and research, whether cultivated at home or in school, is well-known. Equally known, in my opinion, is the aversion to books, literature, and critical thinking, which is fostered more in schools than at home.
As the new school year begins, I hope that by June 2025, at least one student will want to explore a poem, short story, or novel on their own because they’ve been inspired to ask, “What is literature?”
Wishing everyone a successful school year.
[This article was translated from its Greek original]
