Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Child Literacy: Disadvantaged Areas

22 February 2023 · 3 other contributors · 4,680 words

Opened by Alexander Stafford Con Rother Valley

Responding minister: Robert Halfon

EducationChildren & Families

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Alexander Stafford raised concerns about child literacy: disadvantaged areas in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Three quarters of a million school-aged children in the UK do not have access to a school library.
  • There is a 40 percent development gap between disadvantaged 16-year-olds and their peers by age five.
  • The Government thanked the Member for Rother Valley for his speech and highlighted initiatives like the English Hubs programme supporting over 1,600 schools with a high proportion of pupils on free school meals.

Key requests to Government

I urge the Government to recognise the importance of early years funding, prioritise efficiently allocated funding towards primary schools and libraries, and support initiatives like the Primary School Library Alliance. The aim is to reach 1,000 schools by 2025, ensuring that every child in Rother Valley and across the UK has access to an adequately sized and well-resourced library.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Alexander Stafford Con Rother Valley

I am concerned about the three quarters of a million school-aged children in the UK who do not have access to a school library. This is alarming given that reading is fundamental for functioning in society and academic performance. Additionally, there is a 40% development gap between disadvantaged 16-year-olds and their peers by age five, with only £342 per pupil allocated to early years education compared to £1,385 for primary school children. In my constituency of Rother Valley, literacy scores are below the national average, and Yorkshire and the Humber has one of the lowest rates of children's book ownership at 9.2%. Two in every five children in England eligible for free school meals do not have a dedicated library in their school.

Other contributors (3)
  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Commended the hon. Gentleman for securing this debate and endorsed his views on literacy. As a grandfather with six grandchildren, he sees their eagerness to learn and believes that making books available in primary schools is crucial for building adults of tomorrow.

  • John Hayes Con South Holland and The Deepings

    The Minister highlighted the importance of libraries in stimulating children's curiosity and dreams, emphasizing the role of school libraries in introducing classic literature to students. He also mentioned his personal involvement in saving a library in his constituency that has since flourished.

  • Margaret Greenwood Lab Blackpool South

    Last year, Woodchurch Church of England Primary School in her constituency transformed an unoccupied area into a reading space with support from the children's laureate and BookTrust. The initiative has improved outcomes for vulnerable children, especially those with special educational needs, by embedding reading for pleasure into its culture. Intervened twice, first to discuss the importance of embedding reading for pleasure into the curriculum and later to ask if the Minister would give way.

Government Response

Robert Halfon

Thanked the Member for Rother Valley for his speech, highlighting initiatives like Michael Morpurgo Month and emphasising the Government's focus on phonics in teaching early reading. Noted improvements seen internationally since 2016. Mentioned the English Hubs programme supporting over 1,600 schools with a high proportion of pupils on free school meals. Acknowledged the importance of libraries for promoting reading for pleasure and discussed funding initiatives such as the £3.5 billion spent annually on early education entitlements. Announced additional funding increases totalling £510 million for local authorities to increase hourly rates paid to childcare providers. Noted that the Department is committed to improving literacy levels for all pupils, ensuring high-quality teaching and supporting disadvantaged children.

Get updates like this by email
▸ Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy