The Education Committee has recommended a series of measures in its report published today to stem the rapid decline in the number of children reading for pleasure.
After taking evidence from education experts, the publishing industry, charities and the author and previous Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce, the Education Committee report on Reading for Pleasure found only 36% of children enjoy reading and 20% read daily in their free time. The committee’s report cites evidence that reading for pleasure makes children happier, healthier, develops their empathy and improves their attainment at school. 
In the report, the committee welcomed the government’s National Year of Reading initiative, but warned that it risks becoming a one-off event without a lasting impact. It called for the government to introduce a National Decade of Reading to ensure reading for pleasure remains a long-term priority, working with educators, authors, publishers and booksellers to design activities and establish more “national moments” to promote reading for pleasure throughout the year.
The report called for the government to commit to a “national reading guarantee”, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to enjoy books as part of everyday life. This guarantee would see every child automatically enrolled in a public library when they are born.
The committee recommended that the government funds a library in every secondary school and recognises access to school libraries as an essential part of a good education by making them a legal requirement. This builds on Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s pledge to guarantee a library in every primary school by 2029. MPs said ministers should introduce a school library development fund, so that schools refresh their shelves and train staff, and set an expectation for all schools to include dedicated library lessons in the school timetable.
Isobel Hunter, chief executive of Libraries Connected, said: “The committee is absolutely right to recognise that public libraries are central to building a culture of reading for pleasure. Libraries offer something that neither home nor school can provide: a third space where children and young people can explore, browse, discover and read freely, supported by skilled staff who understand how to inspire reading.
“As I told the committee, whatever it is that captures a child’s imagination – rainbows or zombies, football or robots – they will find the perfect book at their local library. Years of cuts have reduced access to library services for many communities. Addressing those gaps will require long-term investment to ensure libraries can continue to evolve and respond to changing local needs.
“We urge the incoming Burnham government to make reading for pleasure part of its wider mission to spread opportunity and improve life chances.”
MPs also stress that “joy must lead the way” in developing a love of reading during the critical early years. The committee warns that the government’s current policies focus “overwhelmingly on proficiency over pleasure” and that without experiencing the fun and enjoyment of reading, or “the warmth of shared stories and the enchantment of turning pages”, children may not carry a love of reading into later life.
The report also recommended that the Department for Education should fund and deliver research into best practice in reading for pleasure for secondary-school teachers and encourage breakfast clubs, as they are being rolled out across the country, to offer books and reading activities.
As part of its inquiry, the committee held a round table on World Book Day with students from a primary school in East London. While some children strongly supported reading with friends and discussing books, others preferred playing or felt that their friends were not interested in reading.
MPs also heard concerns about the secondary English curriculum, described by one witness as “dispiritingly dull”, actually held children back from developing a love of reading, and that its lack of diversity left children disengaged. The committee found that the Curriculum and Assessment Review was a “missed opportunity” to create more space for pupils to develop a true enjoyment of reading.
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MPs also heard evidence that while many parents wanted to read to their children at home, they faced many barriers including pressure from work, a lack of time and a lack of confidence. These barriers were exacerbated for those living in poverty or facing food insecurity. The committee argued in the report that the government should give parents more support as a “quick win” to support young people reading.
It called for the government to revise the English Literature GCSE to make developing a love for literature a core objective of the qualification. The government should also improve the diversity of texts, expanding the definition of literature from the British Isles to literature in English and extend the requirement for a 19th-century novel to a longer period.
Rebecca Sinclair, president of the Publishers Association said: “The Education Committee’s report is a very welcome contribution to the reading for pleasure debate and we echo many of its recommendations. I was pleased to provide evidence to the Committee for the Publishers Association and am delighted to see our calls for a National Decade of Reading and funding for libraries in the report, as well as a proposed National Reading Guarantee.
“We’re particularly pleased to see the report champion both the importance of diverse, representative books and the invaluable contribution that authors and illustrators make in inspiring children to become lifelong readers.
“We warmly welcome this ringing endorsement of the importance of reading to all of society and call on the government to implement the committee’s key recommendations. The publishing industry looks forward to continuing to partner with the government to ensure we reverse the decline in reading for pleasure and build a sustainable pipeline of readers. Our thanks go to the committee for their work on this important issue.”
Chair of the Education Committee Helen Hayes MP said: “We know that children from disadvantaged backgrounds or those with additional needs are less likely to develop a love of reading. But access to literature should never be a luxury available only to the most prosperous families. But we do not need to lose hope. Our report published today sets out concrete steps the government can take to put pleasure and fun back into childhood reading.
“A National Reading Guarantee, better library access and curriculum reform would give the children the opportunity and motivation to find books that they love. None of this is inevitable. It’s time to write a new ending to this story and make reading for pleasure a possibility for every child.”
Jonathan Douglas CBE, Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust, said: “Recommendations to introduce a National Reading Guarantee to ensure every child has regular access to high-quality, diverse reading materials in homes, schools and communities from birth to 18 is essential, alongside a cross-government Reading for Pleasure Strategy to drive forward and sustain this vital work.
“The committee’s ambition that every child, regardless of where they live or their background, should have the opportunity to experience the joy of reading and the life-changing benefits it brings, closely aligns with our mission. Every day, we work alongside local partners in some of the UK’s most disadvantaged communities to deliver place-based solutions that tackle literacy challenges where they have the greatest impact on people’s lives.”
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