Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of public libraries on children's educational outcomes.

​​​The Department recognises the role of public and school libraries in supporting children’s access to books and the development of reading for pleasure.

The National Curriculum promotes reading widely and often, both for pleasure and information, with evidence showing that reading for pleasure is more important for children's educational development than their parents' level of education. This evidence can be found here: https://cls.ucl.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Readingforpleasurestoppress.pdf.

In 2018, the Department launched the £60 million English Hubs Programme to improve the teaching of reading, with a focus on phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure. The English Hubs have delivered intensive support to 1,700 schools to date, with a focus on supporting those children making the slowest progress in reading, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The Department recognises the importance of both public and school libraries in increasing children’s access to books and promoting reading for pleasure. A National Literacy and Chase survey conducted in December 2022 reported that nearly 30% of parents stated they were borrowing more children’s books from libraries, and a quarter said they were asking their children to borrow more books from school libraries. Findings from the survey can be found at: https://literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-reports/children-young-people-book-access-cost-of-living/.

The Department welcomes schemes such as the Reading Agency’s Summer Reading Challenge, which looks to improve reading for pleasure and children’s access to books in school and public libraries. The Challenge encourages nearly three quarters of a million children into libraries, and keeps them reading over the summer holidays, ready for the start of the new academic year.

The 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) data reported that pupils’ confidence on the ‘Confidence in Reading’ scale in England is related to the number of books they reported having in their home. Pupils in England who reported having more books at home had considerably higher scores in PIRLS than those reporting that their homes had fewer books. The PIRLS data can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1156633/PIRLS_2021_-_national_report_for_England__May_2023.pdf.

The Autumn Statement 2022 announced that funding for mainstream schools and high needs is £3.5 billion higher in 2023/24, compared to 2022/23. That is on top of the £4 billion, year on year increase provided in 2022/23. This is an increase of £7.5 billion, or over 15%, in just two years.

It is for individual schools to decide how to manage their budgets, including how best to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils. Many head teachers recognise the important role school libraries play in improving literacy and ensure that suitable library facilities are provided.