THE Education Minister has said tackling the decline in children reading for pleasure is a “priority” – following concerns highlighted on the front page of the JEP at the weekend.
Deputy Catherine Curtis was responding to Saturday’s report, which revealed new research suggesting that Jersey was “following the same trajectory as the UK”, where falling levels of reading for pleasure have been described as a “significant national challenge”.
Every Child Our Future chief executive Cris Lakeman had called for a long-term Island-wide strategy, warning that the issue affected not only literacy but educational attainment, wellbeing, social mobility and Jersey’s future economic prosperity.
In a letter to the JEP, Deputy Curtis said she shared the view that fostering a lifelong love of reading had a “significant impact” on literacy, wellbeing, educational attainment and future opportunities.
She confirmed that she had now responded to Mrs Lakeman and said discussions about the Open University research had already taken place with Jersey’s Reading Network.
The findings are due to be published next month, with the minister explaining that publication had deliberately been held back until after the summer holidays so schools could properly engage with the research and its recommendations.
“This work is a priority for me,” Deputy Curtis said. “It is the first item scheduled for discussion with my ministerial team at the start of the new school term, when we will consider the research and the opportunities it presents for strengthening reading for pleasure across Jersey.”
A former ECOF volunteer herself, Deputy Curtis said lasting change would require schools, families, libraries, charities and government to work together.
“Our ambition should be not only to improve literacy outcomes, but to create the conditions in which children and young people choose to read because they enjoy it,” she added.
The full letter is published on page 12 of today’s newspaper.
