The National Liberal Party (PNL) deputy Sebastian Burduja has filed a draft law aiming to establish a National Reading Day on February 15 to offer the framework for various initiatives to encourage reading. 

In an outline of the reasons for establishing a Reading Day, the deputy mentions Eurostat data showing Romanians read only five minutes per day, and only 6.2% see reading as a pastime. Furthermore, only 20% of Romanians read once per month, and 8% every day.

The deputy also quotes a 2018 survey of the Romanian Institute for Evaluation and Strategy (IRES) showing only 16% of Romanians say they read books every month, while 35% said they never read a book.

He also points to the results of the 2018 PISA testing. Some 41% of Romanian students were unable to reach level 2 in Reading, meaning that they can read a text but can’t explain or understand what the text is about. 

The project also mentions surveys showing the benefits of reading in reducing stress.

“Romania will only develop when Romanians fall in love again with books. Unfortunately, today’s numbers are dramatic. A Romanian reads less than five minutes per day and about one book per year, on average. By comparison, a German reads 16 books per year, on average. There is clearly a connection between the interest in reading and a country’s economic and social development,” Burduja argued.

The date of February 15 was proposed following the example of other countries, where national reading days coincide with the birthdates of celebrated writers. In Romania’s case, it would mark the birthdates of "two personalities who played an important role in the development of Romanian education and in promoting reading": politician and literary critic Titu Maiorescu (February 15, 1840), a founder of the literary society Junimea, and Spiru Haret (February 15, 1851), a mathematician and education minister credited with building the country’s modern education system.

The project is backed by 24 other PNL senators and deputies, and one USR-PLUS deputy. 

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simona@romania-insider.com