Kumasi, Oct. 4, GNA - Mrs Gladys Amaning, Kumasi Metropolitan Director of Education, has underlined the need for the re-activation of the African and Ghanaian writers' series to end the dominance of foreign literature o= n the book market.

She said the field day currently enjoyed by foreign authors could kill people's interest in reading, particularly school children, because the issues these authors usually write about tend to be unrelated to the local environment. It is therefore important for the Education Ministry, Ghana Education Service, Ghana Library Board, Ghana Books Publishers Association and other stakeholders to come together to address the situation. Mrs Amaning said this in a speech read on her behalf at the celebration of this year's international children's book day in Kumasi. She said every effort should be made to whip up enthusiasm in book development and reading.

She appealed to the government to subsidise library books to make the= m affordable to the public. He called for the re-introduction and enforcement of library reading periods in schools. Mrs Rebecca Akita, Ashanti Regional Director of the Ghana Library Board, asked parents to encourage their children to cultivate the habit of reading, to broaden their outlook. The Board as part of its mission would continue to put in place measures to promote reading. As part of activities marking the day, a quiz competition was organised for eight primary and Junior High School (JHS) that patronise the Ashanti Library with Wesley College Practice primary 93A" scoring 88 poi= nts to place first. In the JHS category, K.O. Methodist won with 80 points. They were presented with exercise and story books, mathematical sets, pens, certificates, shields and MTN souvenirs.