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Children’s charity Save the Children took its Change The Story literacy campaign to the House of Lords earlier today (Tuesday 21st January).
The campaign is aimed at stopping poor children in the UK from falling behind on their reading. At the event, attended by education minister Michael Gove, the charity called on all political parties to include a commitment to this in their manifestos.
The event came out of a partnership, launched last year, with literacy charity Beanstalk. Together the two charities created the Born to Read programme which recruits volunteers to go into schools to help children who are falling behind.
According to the partnership, 93% of children who leave primary school without basic reading skills fail to get five good GCSEs.
Gove said: "Nothing is more important than ensuring every child can read. Reading gives every child the opportunity to become the author of their own life story, the shaper of their own future. We must all work together to support Save the Children’s mission.”
Sue Porto, Beanstalk chief executive, said: “Reading is key to a child’s future and underpins a child’s chances of achieving at school and later in life.”
The Born to Read programme is aiming to provide 7,000 more reading helpers for 23,000 pupils in schools in deprived areas across the country.