Repositioning Individuals for Reading Competence: A Key Focus of the Smart Green Schools Initiative of Enugu State Government, Nigeria

This paper extols the Smart School initiative of the Enugu State government and the ultimate plan to launch the schools into the 4^th industrial revolution. It points out that reading should occupy a pivotal place in the smart school curriculum. Reading involves an interaction between the reader and the printed text. That is to say that reading entails looking at the printed text to make meaning out of it. The journey of ‘learning to read’ begins in the basic or primary schools. The goal of reading instruction at the primary level is that every child should be functionally literate, able to communicate well, read and write with clear understanding, and utilize efficient problem-solving life skills. So, a solid foundation must be laid for reading competence among the pupils of the smart schools to equip them for the demands and tasks of the 4^th Industrial Revolution. This is because reading failure in the past has led to educational failure as well as general underdevelopment.  This paper therefore argues that from the commencement of the smart schools, adequate attention must be paid to reading instruction, quality of personnel involved, processes of delivery, and product to reposition the individuals for higher reading achievement.