FINCO SURVEY: STUDENTS’ LESS READING LINKED TO LOWER ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 (Bernama) -- Students who read less frequently are more likely to record lower academic achievement, highlighting the need for targeted efforts to strengthen Malaysia’s reading culture, according to a recent survey by Financial Industry Collective Outreach (FINCO).

The Reading Culture Amongst Malaysian Students survey, which involved 1,168 primary and secondary school students across the country, found a strong positive correlation between reading frequency and academic performance.

FINCO in a statement, said the findings came amid concerns over declining international assessment scores, reinforcing the need for sustained interventions to cultivate reading habits beyond academic requirements.

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The statement noted that, although 94.64 per cent of Malaysians are literate, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 revealed that Malaysia fell below the international average for reading, with scores dropping to 388 from 415 in 2018 and fewer than half of students meeting the minimum proficiency benchmark.

The survey also revealed that while most students demonstrated strong reading habits driven by school demands, a significant gap remains in self-initiated leisure reading, with more than a quarter of respondents indicating that they do not read as a personal hobby.

FINCO chairman Tan Sri Azman Hashim said the results underlined the importance of nurturing a love for reading beyond the classroom.

“It is encouraging to see students engaging deeply with academic texts, but we must also nurture curiosity and joy in reading beyond the classroom. When reading becomes a habit of choice, not just a task, it opens doors to creativity, empathy, and lifelong learning,” he said in the statement.  

The survey also highlighted socio-economic disparities in reading habits, as students from low-income households, identified by receipt of free school meals, were found to be twice as likely to read infrequently compared with peers from higher-income families and were also less likely to read for pleasure.

Limited access to books at home was identified as a contributing factor, with nearly one in three students reporting that they had fewer than 10 books in their households.

Further analysis showed that frequent readers were more likely to come from homes with more than 20 books, while infrequent readers typically had limited access to reading materials. 

The study also found that primary school students who were read to more than four times a week were the most likely to develop strong reading habits.

Meanwhile, the study revealed that digital platforms could play a positive role in promoting reading engagement, as about 73 per cent of students who identified as frequent readers reported daily reading on digital devices, compared with 53 per cent of infrequent readers.

FINCO chief executive officer Clare Walker said digital reading was increasingly shaping how young Malaysians engage with information.

“As students turn increasingly to screens for both learning and leisure, our goal should be to nurture habits that promote curiosity, comprehension and critical thinking, empowering them to navigate information wisely and creatively,” she said.

Based on the findings, the report outlined four key focus areas to cultivate a strong national reading culture, namely fostering interest-driven reading through digital platforms and culturally relevant materials; expanding access to physical and digital reading resources; strengthening reading habits within the home through parental involvement; and leveraging technology responsibly to enhance digital literacy.

The report stressed that coordinated efforts involving schools, families and communities were essential to ensure reading remained a lifelong skill and a foundation for academic success.

-- BERNAMA