A reading crisis - and a solution

If we want our children to reach their potential then it is important that they both acquire reading fluency early and that they go on to become voracious readers. However, over the last decade we have experienced a number of trends that have decimated both the number of books our children can access, and the quality of the range on offer. 

"Providing books is undoubtably one of the simplest and most cost-efficient ways of improving the lives of 1.2 million children up and down the United Kingdom, giving them the best possible start to their lives and careers."

Alexander Stafford MP, Hansard, Children’s Access to Books, June 2023

"School spending per pupil in England fell by 9% in real terms between 2009–10 and 2019–20, the largest cut in over 40 years."

IFS 2021.

There is no statutory requirement to have a school library and no ring fencing of funding. Recent pressure on school funding has been huge and has hit school libraries hard.

Public libraries have been unable to step in due to funding pressures on local councils. Parents have been unable to fill the gap, facing an escalating cost of living.

"For those reliant on public libraries – only a third of those schools agreed that their pupils have the necessary level of access to resources, and 45% disagreed with that statement."

Great School Libraries report, 2023

"Provision for those pupils in school which have a higher percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is worse than for children not in those schools…those children are less likely to have a designated library area (83%, compared to the England average of 88%)…and less likely to be able to access the library, even if they have one."

Great School Libraries report, 2023

And the impact of these trends has been felt most by the disadvantaged.

Despite the amazing amount of quality children’s literature out there, the range of books that are actually available to our children is getting worse. And if children aren’t engaged with what is available then they won’t read unless they have to. Which means we need to give them access to more books – books that reflect their lives and their experiences, books where they can see themselves in the characters and the stories being told.

"Over a quarter (26.9%) of respondents highlighted a lack of inclusive quality literature or acknowledged the need for more diversity within their current book stock."

National Literacy Trust & Penguin, 2021

"Only one fifth of schools provide access to the reading area at all times (21%), and one in twenty (6%) say there is never open access (access during free times and before and after school). Just half of schools provide access to these spaces at lunchtime (50%) or breaktime (49%)."

Great School Libraries report, 2023

It’s not just that the range isn’t there, but access to what is available is restricted.  To borrow from the school library both the school and the library have to be open and accessible, and evidence suggests that opening hours are restricted

There is light at the end of the tunnel. Digital technology can solve the problem faster and more efficiently than can be done with physical books. Investing in digital libraries has major benefits. It’s faster to deliver improvements as there is no shifting books around. The children have immediate and instant access – no waiting for the school  library to open. They can be refreshed instantly, so can always reflect the needs of their ever changing readership. And where they are shared across schools, they provide huge economies of scale thereby providing more reading for the money.

"E-books, which can be as simple a concept as a PDF saved on a phone or on any number of e-readers, allow for quick and free access to books, which was unattainable outside of a library just a few years ago."

Alexander Stafford MP, Hansard, Children’s Access to Books, June 2023

"We must examine seriously the ways in which technology can help children gain access to books, rather than looking at technology as somehow at odds with reading…[ebooks and audiobooks] must be front and centre of any book strategy."

Alexander Stafford MP, Hansard, Children’s Access to Books, June 2023

The argument against digital libraries has been twofold: (i) that they fail the most disadvantaged, who do not have access to digital readers, and (ii) it is impossible to find what you need. Access to digital readers is much less of an issue now, particularly following Covid. ELFS is also committed to raising funding for ereaders should this be a problem for any of our pilot schools. The search piece has definitely been an issue, not helped by the fact that few primary schools have a qualified librarian. However ELFS has access to a unique proprietary search and discovery engine which the co-founders have spent ten years developing. TheBookSeekers offers search beyond title and author, as well as discovery facilitated by curated collections and hyperlinks across aspects such as characters, series names, stories, key stages and reading levels.  It is this search and discovery engine which will allow ELFS’ pilot schools to find the best book to read.