Parents and guardians have been urged to monitor and prevent their children from the excessive use of mobile phones and rather encourage them to develop the habit of reading.

Mr. Ofosu Frimpong, the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Librarian gave the advice on Thursday in Sunyani when he spoke at the Regional Reading Festival for Junior High School (JHSs) to select a winner to represent the region in a national competition in Accra.

The event, organised by the Ghana Library Authority (GhLA) on the theme “Reading for Progress” was to promote library activities in the region and also to help the regional winners to prepare adequately to represent the region at the national level.

Five schools - Delany Academy JHS, Dormaa-Ahenkro, Saint James JHS, Sunyani, Seventh Day Adventist JHS, Goaso, African Faith JHS, Duayaw-Nkwanta and Saint Francis JHS, Techiman competed for the ultimate prize.

Mr. Frimpong entreated parents to provide reading materials to their children and create a condusive environment for them to increase their interest in reading, saying that reading leads to academic success because it develops the minds of the children to be able to excel in all areas of education.

He stated that with the support of Newmont Goldcorp, Ahafo Mine, the children library in Sunyani would be given a facelift very soon to make the place more attractive to children.

Mr. Frimpong said to make reading more pleasurable and to promote it among pupils and students in the region, the Regional Library had installed an application, so that everyone could electronically access reading books on the internet through the Google Play Store.

Mr. Fredrick Noble Baadaa, the immediate retired Regional Librarian suggested the need for government to formulate and implement a national reading policy to promote the art of reading in schools and among the general public to improve the vocabulary of the populace.

He said self-discipline was an essential factor for people to acquire the habit of reading and advised school children to reduce the long hours devoted to watching television and cultivate the habit of reading to be able to advance to higher level in life.

Delany Academy was first, followed by Saint James, St. Francis, Seventh Day Adventist and African Faith JHSs respectively.