A cross-party education committee has concluded that the current National Year of Reading should be significantly expanded to a National Decade of Reading. The recommendation follows an inquiry into reading for pleasure, launched last November amid concerns over a sharp decline in children's engagement with books.
Published on Friday, the inquiry report argues that extending the initiative would ensure reading for pleasure remains a long-term priority and could facilitate more far-reaching changes to embed reading into all aspects of education. Jonathan Douglas, CEO of the National Literacy Trust, reportedly told the committee that a decade-long commitment is essential to build upon the foundations laid by the current year-long programme.
Furthermore, the committee has urged the Department for Education (DfE) to commit to a National Reading Guarantee. This guarantee would ensure that all children, from birth to 18, regardless of their background, have frequent opportunities to enjoy books, stories, and shared reading experiences as part of their everyday lives. While advocating for a broad definition of reading, the report particularly emphasises the benefits of traditional books, citing expert testimony on the linguistic complexity they offer compared to other formats.
The inquiry also addressed broader issues impacting reading habits, highlighting the rise of screen use as a major factor. Author and illustrator Onyinye Iwu shared with the committee that many students now prioritise platforms like TikTok and Netflix over reading. However, the report cautions against solely blaming screens, noting that England's reading rates lag significantly behind international averages due to other factors such as the cost of living, modern work patterns, inadequate library access, and competing curriculum demands.
Additional recommendations include restoring public library funding lost since 2010 and extending the DfE's pledge to provide a library in every primary school to secondary schools. The committee also supports calls for automatic library card issuance at birth. The report criticised last year's curriculum review as a 'missed opportunity' to foster reading enjoyment and called for a diversification of the GCSE English Literature curriculum, noting that in 2023, only 1.5% of students studied a text by a writer of colour.
The report also pointed out that the National Year of Reading has had little impact on the DfE's core work in schools and early years, and that children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), especially those with dyslexia, are a 'key priority group' not adequately addressed by the initiative. It suggests that early years reading should prioritise enjoyment and engagement over school readiness and phonics instruction.