Sir Gavin Williamson has joined celebrations for World Book Day, taking part in a parliamentary debate dedicated to the event.
World Book Day is an initiative that was set up by UNESCO in 1995 and takes place on March 7th every year, with the aim to encourage more children to read. This year, World Book Day hopes to introduce more children to the joy of literature, by facilitating reading groups, choosing a £1 book, playing games and dressing up as favourite fictional characters. Last year, over 1,930 libraries joined in with World Book Day displays and 90,000 £1 books were donated by publishers to disadvantages communities across the UK.
Unfortunately, according to the National Literacy Trust, only 2 in 5 children aged 8 to 18 said they enjoyed reading. These figures are distressing in light of research that shows reading can have a positive impact on one’s mental health. A study from the Reading Agency for example, highlighted that non-readers are 28% more likely to report feelings of depression.
Sir Gavin pointed out during the debate that there is a disparity in child literacy across the UK. He stated that a survey by BookTrust found that out of 2,000 low-income families, less than half of all children under seven were being read a bedtime story. This has consequences for a child’s prospects in later life, as studies have suggested those with lower levels of literacy earn on average 7% less.
Sir Gavin celebrated several government initiatives that are working towards improving access and engagement with reading among young people. He especially applauded the £20 million libraries improvement fund. However, he stressed that more could be done to increase the numbers of books in libraries and lamented the decrease in book stocks across the country.
Sir Gavin said: “World Book Day is incredibly important. It is an opportunity to put a real focus on the importance of a book for every child right across the country. We should all feel a great sense of pride in the scheme, which the Publishers Association has championed over the years. It is not just about what is being done in schools and for children; it is also a celebration of the fact that Britain is a world-leading nation in publishing. We have some of the best companies in the world based here in the United Kingdom, employing so many people right across the country.”
He later added: “The £20 million libraries improvement fund is certainly welcome, but I suggest that we need to do more in that area. There are some concerns; we saw library book stocks decrease by 11% across England, Wales and Scotland between 2021 and 2022. We need the best possible range of stock in our libraries so that when youngsters have that book that they picked up on World Book Day, they have the opportunity to feed and develop their enthusiasm.”
