Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made an assessment of the impact of World Book Day on literacy rates.

The government is committed to continuing to raise literacy standards, including those of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. English is fundamental to learning and provides the skills and knowledge pupils need to communicate with others, both in school and in the wider world.

The department welcomes the important work of the World Book Day charity, an annual celebration of reading. It is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. World Book Day gifts free £1 vouchers to purchase special £1 editions of books, or to put towards purchasing another book. World Book Day, and other literacy charities such as the National Literacy Trust, organise events and partnerships to help ensure children have the opportunity to discover a love for reading.

The department has not undertaken any specific assessment of World Book Day, but note that the charity commissioned the National Literacy Trust to evaluate the impact of the work on children aged 8 to 11 in the UK. The 2021 impact report can be found here: https://www.worldbookday.com/resource/exploring-the-impact-of-world-book-day-on-childrens-reading/.

The department’s English Hubs regularly mark the day in several ways, including sharing best practice guidance, promoting reading for pleasure, and organising book talks for children. Ministers from the Department for Education will contribute to the celebrations this year.