The cross-party education committee has recommended transforming this year’s National Year of Reading into a National Decade of Reading and creating a National Reading Guarantee to make sure all children have regular opportunities to read for pleasure. Locally, the proposals could influence how schools and libraries in and around Reading prioritise reading development and funding.
What the committee recommends
The inquiry, launched last November in response to a noted decline in children reading for pleasure, sets out several interconnected proposals aimed at embedding reading across education and community life. Key measures include:
- Extending the National Year of Reading into a decade to sustain long-term focus on reading for pleasure.
- Introducing a National Reading Guarantee to ensure regular shared reading experiences for children from birth to 18.
- Broadening the Department for Education’s pledge to provide a library in every primary school so that it also covers secondary schools.
- Restoring public library funding lost since 2010 to support community access to books.
The committee cites views from literacy experts. National Literary Trust chief executive Jonathan Douglas argued that this year’s initiative should be "turned into a decade of reading" so that the foundations being laid are sustained. The inquiry also considered how different formats of reading support language development, with contributors highlighting distinctions between mediums such as graphic novels and traditional texts.
"The complexity of the language in a graphic novel will not be the same as the complexity of a language in a traditional novel."
What this would mean locally
For parents, teachers and library staff in Reading, the recommendations, if adopted, would aim to normalise shared reading across childhood and adolescence rather than treating promotional activity as short-term. Practically, this could affect:
- School budgets and priorities around library provision and literacy programmes.
- Local authority support for public libraries, storytime and outreach activities.
- Partnerships between schools, libraries and community groups to sustain events and resources over a longer period.
At present the report does not specify funding levels or a detailed timetable. Its thrust is strategic: to make reading for pleasure a long-term public and educational priority rather than a one-off campaign.
Snapshot of the inquiry's suggested actions
| Proposal | Purpose |
|---|---|
| National Decade of Reading | Keep reading for pleasure a sustained priority |
| National Reading Guarantee | Ensure regular reading opportunities from birth to 18 |
| Libraries in all secondary schools | Extend access to books beyond primary level |
| Restore public library funding | Support community reading provision |
Local leaders and education professionals in Reading will be watching for a government response. If ministers accept the recommendations, schools and library services will need to consider how to translate national commitments into practical local programmes — from staffing and stock to events that encourage families and teenagers to read together.
For parents keen to support their children now, the report reinforces existing advice: prioritise regular shared reading, engage with books in different formats, and work with school and library staff to maintain access to reading materials beyond short-term initiatives.
