• Scandal: The homes without a single book
• Schools: Why does one fail where another succeeds?

Reader views (49)

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Just had my children's review of the statement they have for special educational needs. They both (twins age 6) have the reading age of a 9 year old, if the teachers can get them to stay still long enough to read that is! I dont think I did anything special, except to buy them cheap books from bookpeople dot com, and once read that boys need their dads to read to them to show them reading is cool for men, so I delegated the bedtime stories.

In conclusion, I think I have to lay this one at the feet of the parents, its hard for chools to show a child that reading is fun if their parents disagree.

- Adela, London, 23/06/2011 11:51
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Crisis! What crisis?

I am glad this has come to light. Hopefully, now that we are confronted with the truth, something will and not shall be done about this epidemic problem.

“It is not easy to come terms with the truth and it has never been easy coming to terms with the truth. Accepting the truth is truly a problem which is getting out of control”; Londoners cannot read.
Politicians of course are quick to blame the opposition; that is, the present government will of course claim this problem is none other than a Labour Government problem. I guess likewise, prior to this crisis, The Labour government would have pointed fingers (not the Finger) at The Conservative government.

In my experience and I REALLY mean my experience in the education industry; most people will probably agree with me that this reading crisis incubated right from the grass roots. The education system is the main cause of this crisis not the politicians. In case you are adamant to believe a word you read, then fill free; close the page.

However, if you are not convinced, this may bring back some wonderful memories; do you remember:
The good old days when you got corporal punishment for: getting 7 out of 10 spelling mistakes, poor grammar or simply a slip of the tongue (for example: “will you please sign for me … my EMA application form” as opposed to; “will you please sign my EMA application form for me”). Oh, I forgot, my generation never had and will never have such privileges.

[EoE & GME]

- P W W, UK, 12/06/2011 18:07
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I'm not all that surprised to be honest. I'm a student and I've had teachers with some appalling spelling and grammar mistakes in my time. If the teachers aren’t proficient at English, how are pupils expected to be?

- Lucy, Sheffield, 03/06/2011 20:29
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I'm not all that surprised to be honest. I'm a student and I've had teachers with some appalling spelling and grammar mistakes in my time. If the teachers aren’t proficient at English, how are pupils expected to be?

- Lucy, Sheffield, 03/06/2011 20:27
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I believe 1 in 3 people living in London were born outside the UK.It is therefore more surprising that English literacy rates are not lower than these figures suggest.
The education system neither has the systems nor resources to deal with this level of immigration, as our political class will do nothing about it we will need to accept it.

- James J, London, 01/06/2011 22:46
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The key is to encourage reading for the reason of pleasure. This is any type, in Amy way at any time. Spending time looking at synthetic phonics is fine to an extend in primary schools bit this must happen along side promoting the enjoyment that reading can give. Rather than treating it as a learning activity with testing, grading and demoralisation of the reader who does not meet these narrow targets let's celebrate reading.

There are so many charities out there promoting reading including ours, The Federation of Children's Book Groups, but also Booktrust, The National Loteracy Trust and many others. Yet these are threatened with cuts, curtailing the work we do and affecting the impact we have.

There are amazing projects going on all over the country through our work, projects that make a difference, that change lives. It is these charities, these projects we should be focussing on to continue their work and we will continue to see changes and improvements.

Reading for pleasure is fundamental to our young peoples development, it is the key to unlock the literacy door and is so obvious, yet so undervalued. Schools, society and government need to understand this and only then can they start to make a difference.

- Federation of Children's Book Groups, Uk, 01/06/2011 20:51
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There you go...all summed up in the 2nd comment....
Well said Mick,I do like this chaps contributions...
I bet a large % of these kids can recite bits of a certain book that a lot of you Londoners seem to read & worship...
Its a fact...we all know...even us country types down here in Somerset...
you lot have let 100,000s into your city with English as a 2nd language & now you wonder why some of them can read !!!....
This is nothing..I read the other day London as a shortfall of 64,500 primary school places due to a dramatic birth rate rise....Oh yeah
Funny old lot you are up there

- Chansey gardner, Stove Farm Somerset, 01/06/2011 14:55
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I am one of those immigrants who have English as their second language (and so are most of my colleagues at work). I dare say my English is better than that of many English natives who, for example, have trouble putting the ' in place.

Someone suggested not allowing children to pass on from one year to another before they have mastered the year's requirements. This works in many other countries, why not try it in the UK, indeed? After all, children should go to school mainly to learn things, not just spend time there and move on after a given period of time.

- Immigrant, London, 01/06/2011 19:40
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And they cannot speak English either.

- mickinlondon., london,

There you go...all summed up in the 2nd comment....
Well said Mick,I do like this chaps contributions...
I bet a large % of these kids can recite bits of a certain book that a lot of you Londoners seem to read & worship...
Its a fact...we all know...even us country types down here in Somerset...
you lot have let 100,000s into your city with English as a 2nd language & now you wonder why some of them can read !!!....
This is nothing..I read the other day London as a shortfall of 64,500 primary school places due to a dramatic birth rate rise....Oh yeah
Funny old lot you are up there

- Chansey gardner, Stove Farm Somerset, 01/06/2011 14:55
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This betrayal has created a generation incapable of deciphering basic words on timetables, receipts or medicine labels.

Yet,they were paid very well with money,the money was not paid for teaching but was paid for their betrayal. !

- moronamid, London England, 01/06/2011 12:23
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Why haven't you published my comments?

They were relevant to the article and based on personal professional experience.

- Michaella, London U K, 01/06/2011 12:14
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Oh sorry Totally confused!! These children were born when the Labour party were in power, they had 13yrs to set guidlines for education, and what is the result? Enough said!!

- Mark, London, 01/06/2011 11:44
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At Mrs Thatcher's time, there was the provision of English as a Second Language teaching to immigrants in all schools in the UK. The teaching was done by qualified teachers and the monitoring of achievement was very strict.

Now schools and many boroughs hire unqualified people who cannot even spell properly to work as teaching assistants,attending to the most vulnerable pupils, including those whose first language is not English and whose parents cannot help them with a language they themselves hardly know.

Or many schools just leave the immigrant children to their own fate as far as learning the English language is concerned, believing that, "pupils will get to learn English in the playground, all right, we don't ned EAL mambo jambo teaching here", as I myself have heard some deputy heads and others say in London schools.

This is a recipe for social tragedy in the making. A social divide caused by lack of literacy, lack of communication, a lot of ignorance and thousands of frustrated unemployed and unemployable people.

Welcome to the Third World !

But... there is still time to reverse this horror.

Come on, Michael Gove! Consult theold Section 11 gurus of the eighties and nineties!

- Michaella, London U K, 01/06/2011 11:20
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I was totally shocked to see my daughter's photo in the paper last night (Petts Hill). Families and language barriers are not what is failing these children, but inconsistent teaching and ineffective management! My daughter is literate (an understatement) as my wife and I both hold BA(hons), MAs, and graduate diplomas in law and the headteacher of this primary school is misrepresenting the reality of this school. Yes, there is a high turnover of pupils but many of these families never leave the area but simply choose to send their children to better schools at great expense and inconvenience to themselves. When the head says that there are 101 reasons why these children underperform perhaps the number one and two reasons are the head and deputy head. Just reading the article one can see the prejudice that exists: students do not need a dining table to be successful and all of the friends my children associate with have houses with books. These educators need to praise and build confidence in the children (and some very successful teachers do)but the school begins with the belief that these children are deprived and have little hope. This simply is not true. When will the education authority intervene to stop this school failing our children?

- Kieran Duffy, Northolt, Middlesex, 01/06/2011 11:09
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A question to David Llewelyn Davies, London (he wrote in a comment above that (I quote):"This sad and disgraceful state of affairs is my suggestion for the 'Legacy of Tony Blair'. "
Dear David are you so naive that you really think that there is some kind of difference betweem Labor and Tories?

- George, Melbourne, 01/06/2011 11:04
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Its because of the influence of TV and Computer Games nd Calculators in the home as well as at school. Victorian values of calligraphy and reading writing and 'rithmatic, sat at a desk, need to be brought back.

- dhan raj, basildon, 01/06/2011 10:59
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I would say there are a number of reasons for kids being illiterate. We all know that in London the poor British kids are often outnumbered many times by others who cannot understand much English. What chance to the British kids have of any sort of an education.
Secondly look at the behaviour and disrespect for the teacher in many schools. They get away with anything so often the teacher gives up as he/she cannot touch or even speak harshly to the rabble. Those who want to learn don't stand a chance.
Thirdly the parents are mainly to blame. We helped our kids to read by six and they devoured books. Nowadays the 42 inch TV and computers for games take over from books for the kids. And still the parents can't read or write properly. These people cannot leave everything to the schools.

- Michael, Kensington, UK, 01/06/2011 09:55
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"Totally Confused" The damage done to every aspect of our nation by Labour will decades to put right, if at all.
The National Union of Teachers is a deeply awkward union, tied to Labour & worse, & determined to keep a stranglehold on education policy.
The fact that you think decades of damage can be put right in a year, suggests
that you are a product of a school that taught you very little.

- The Convenient Truth, Reading, England, 01/06/2011 09:32
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This sad and disgraceful state of affairs is my suggestion for the 'Legacy of Tony Blair'.

The man was too 'busy' posing and posturing on the world's stage to realise that Great Britain was disintegrating.

- David Llewelyn Davies, London, 01/06/2011 09:14
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One major part of the solution is surely to encourage children to read not just for functional literacy but for enjoyment. What we enjoy we do more and therefore get better at. Research has shown that academic achievement is more linked to reading for enjoyment than to parental background. And yet public libraries are being cut, school library services are being cut (although thye serve mainly the primary schools that so desperately need them, and some secondary schools are also cutting school librarians and even their libraries. Successive governments have refused to prioritise school libraries on the grounds of school freedom, and yet they dictate almost everything else that schools do. Bring in the experts on children's books and reading development so that reading for enjoyment and reading for information, both central to the librarian's role, get the support they need to allow our children to flourish whatever their home circumstances.

- Elizabeth Bentley, London, UK, 01/06/2011 09:07
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@ Amandas
Did you learn how to spell the PM's name at the the local Library?
Local Council's are responsible for funding not Mr Cameron.

- Tojo, Hythe Kent, 01/06/2011 08:53
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I expect they can read - but it wont be English.

- bjj, Sydney, Australia, 31/05/2011 22:48
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This is all thanks to patronising Middle Class Labour politicians who despise the Working Classes and believe our children are incapable of learning, and have no right to aspire to the things they themselves want for their own children.

- Ted, London, 31/05/2011 22:28
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When you say cant read - does this literally mean cant read or just cant read English?

Perhaps the old ways were the best when I was a junior school in the 50s I remember having cards with the alphabet along the classroom wall.

While learning the Alphabet was done singing the old abc song...

While my mother who went to school in the 30s learned spelling by word association:-

CONTENTS was - Cows Owt NoT Eat Nuts Till Sunday - in reverse this was Suck Tommys Nose Eat Tommys Nose Oh Crikey!!!

No doubt this was a 19th Century solution to education perhaps we should re-introduce it for the 21st Century?

BORIS - Bus Only Run In Shoreditch!

- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex, 31/05/2011 21:23
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Get real what do you expect with so many immigrants in the country who do not even attempt to speak the mother tongue.

- Prophet of doom, UK dustbin of Europe, 31/05/2011 19:58
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How many comments on the amount of immigration taking place in London that is swamping all services? Of course no one mentions this in case they are tarnished as being racist, all part of the Marxist ideology that has swept through from a generation of Liebour misrule. But London is now 1 Region of 110 Regions of EUSuperstate, and things will only get worse before the indigenous population disappears in a puff of smoke.

- Bill, Bright Town, 31/05/2011 19:56
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This is simply unacceptable and must be addressed. What an abysmal failure the government and local authorities have been – but this is hardly surprising. The teachers unions must work with the authorities to solve this catastrophe – and change all their predilections about what is right and what is not in schools: illiterate children represent a hopeless failure all round. It is time that these children were banned from most of the distractions that they have – and are made to learn. This means that some form of coercion may be needed and the rights of the rest of us who will have to support all these people in later life must also be protected. If it comes to the rights of the majority versus the rights of a few then the majority must prevail. It is an obligation not an option to be educated. Their parents need a bit of help also – voluntarily of possible but if not also by some form of compulsion.

- Sir Stu Pidfool, london, 31/05/2011 19:25
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Amanda S of London, can you really not spell our prime minister's name correctly, or was it tongue in cheek ?

- Studulike,, Middlesex, UK, 31/05/2011 19:01
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'One million people in this great city cannot read. '

This is 15% of the population, before even excluding small children.
Writing something as silly as this without proper references and evidence is truly awful journalism.

- James, London, 31/05/2011 17:49
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When you get comments about the coalition being in power over a year and you are talking about children leaving school after years of education, you rather despair. Similarly comments about libraries closing when the problem is they cannot read seems bizarre. The problem is with our schools. Forty years ago the head of my children's primary school asked me to decease from teaching my children to read. He banned them bringing rulers to school as foot prints were painted on the floor and thats how they learnt to measure. Aged nine we caught my daughter playing in the sand pit with the babies, she should had been in a maths lesson. ' But one day' the head said, ' she will be a brilliant nurse'. Unless she can add up I told him, she will not pass any exam to learn how to nurse. But that was in Labour's years of Wilson to Callingham, when it was very non U to try to win a race, everyone was a winner.

When I was at school, seventy five years ago, you did not go up at the end of the year, unless you had progressed. Children finding themselves in the babies class aged ten, away from their friends, soon learnt to read. Now aged fifteen they still cant read. My father left school at fourteen, pre 1912, he could read and write brilliantly, it seems over the ages education gets worse and worse

- Alan,, England., 31/05/2011 17:46
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Why should we worry when under Labour we had the highest qualified students for years, just look at the improved exam results during Labour's years in Government. That should help the country out of its financial mess and the fact that many can not read and probably can not write nor add 2+2 is immaterial!

- Guy, Croydon, 31/05/2011 17:34
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What about not letting children go up a class until they reach the necessary level of literacy / numeracy? And if they are incapable of it, what are they doing in mainstream education? Just asking......

- Anonymous pedant, Chiswick, 31/05/2011 17:30
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Surely nothing really surprising here ?

Firstly, -reading books has been replaced with -watching T.V., -playing with computers, and video games,- and 'texting' in mumbo-jumbo language as childrens' primary source of entertainment.

Secondly, the report doesn't seem to take into account the unprecedented influx of immigrant children who don't speak English as their first language, -so can hardly be expected to be particularly competent at reading it?
You'll probably find there's a 'social' aspect to this as well, -and that more 'informed' parents will make sure their children make the time to read, and make sure they buy them interesting books to read from a very young age

Once again, -it's down to parenting, -although libraries are free, -they'll stand empty if it's not inculcated in children to use them !

- Huggy, Cumbernauld Scotland, 31/05/2011 17:26
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I wish I could say I was stunned to read this. I have always known that the basic level of literacy in this country is inferior to that overseas. In my experience, people who have English as their only language, struggle to read and write it to the same standard as some for whom it is a second language. It is a shame that our standards have dropped so much. We used to be admired for our education in this country. It must be down to the standard of teachers we are feeding into our schools.

- suspicious, London, 31/05/2011 17:22
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I still have trouble in read at the tender age of 61,

I find it very hard to read to my grandchildren.
My next door neighbour it a saint, she is a helper at a local primary school, helping chidren to read.
If only I had someone like her all those years ago!

- RAYMOND, HARROW, 31/05/2011 17:20
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I still have trouble in read at the tender age of 61,

I find it very hard to read to my grandchildren.
My next door neighbour it a saint, she is a helper at a local primary school, helping chidren to read.
If only I had someone like her all those years ago!

- RAYMOND, HARROW, 31/05/2011 17:19
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"Still want to close the libraries Mr Camerone??" - AmandaS, London, UK, 31/05/2011 14:42

Well, it seems soon enough we won't need them because nobody will be able to read anyway.

On one of the related articles a little girl says that she and her mother passed a library every day on the bus but her mother never took the time to take her there.

THAT'S why libraries are becoming defunct, not because of some mythical Tory war on education!

- Gary, London, 31/05/2011 17:11
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Totally Confused, Ex London, 31/05/2011 12:26
And how long do suppose it takes to make a difference after 13 years of misguided spending and pandering to the "special needs" lobby. Children were taught, remember that word, by good and committed teachers in a well disciplined environment prior to all the "new thinking" which has led us to this truly sad state of affairs. by the previous labour government? Wake up and start thinking before writing such nonsense!

- Chris, Woking, 31/05/2011 16:33
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Thats after thirteen years of Labour government who spent a fortune on education.
Having up to dozens of different languages in schools cannot help. All forms of immigration should cease until we educate our masses. Should take about twenty years.

- alan,, England., 31/05/2011 15:51
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Still want to close the libraries Mr Camerone??

- AmandaS, London, UK, 31/05/2011 14:42
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Your stock photo is very misleading bearing in mind the areas where this is the case are almost 90% non white, Tower Hamlets etc

- NeilAnon, London, 31/05/2011 14:39
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A thick population is 10x easier to control than a population of educated people and free thinkers.

It is in the governments interests for people to be dumb!

- serox, London, 31/05/2011 14:26
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No wonder employers are importing their own workers, when parents let their children speak their non English tongue as their first language what do you expect.

- James, Grays, 31/05/2011 13:39
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It's all very well blaming the education system, but the problem, as with many of society's ills, lies in homes. Many children are never read to by parents, and "reading" to some adults, constitutes trashy celebrity magazines. When my brothers and I were small, we were brought comics (Twinkle in my case, Dandy and Beano for the boys). As we got older, the comics were changed to those with stories. Because I had chicken pox, I didn't go to school until I was 5 years and 2 months, but I had the best reading age in my year - the ability of a 7 year old at 5. That wasn't down to education, it was down to my parents.

- Blue Baby, London, 31/05/2011 13:37
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Given the high percentage of recent immigrant families, I am not surprised by the statistic. If you speak and listen to no English at home, you are at least 50% behind the "indigenous" population who at least use English at home. (Not saying that they do so very well though). The teaching profession in this country allows this situation courtesy of their misguided ideals about multiculturalism. Thanks Tony and Gordon.

- Jon, London, 31/05/2011 13:33
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What was that Blair said "Education, Education, Education". Socialism - never worked and never will.

- Charly, London, 31/05/2011 13:23
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Evening Standard, are you becoming the new Daily Mail
1. Betrayal - really, so ALL of those who cant read "properly" have been betrayed, nothing to do with the possibility that they just didnt pay attention in class of their own accord ???2
2. yet you report that more and more people are applying for University spaces year on year

If journalists and scientists only got together and thought about their stories/research, maybe us public might pay a bit more attention to what you say/publish, rather than dismiss it as nonsense.

- Leigh (formerly Yup, another Gooner), London, 31/05/2011 13:05
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You have muslim child who don't speak English at home. You have the parents who refuse to speak the language. You have the community in denial. Look at the stats: the children who fail are mostly muslim boys and girls. The solution, stop benefits to whose who haven't learnt to speak and write within one year.

- ash, birmingham, 31/05/2011 12:48
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Oh dear, you are 'clueless.' Do you really think that one year is enough - or are you being ironic?

Children can't read because most of them are propped in front of the TV from an early age, and their parents do not read to them.

All 3 of my children were fluent and enthusiastic readers long before they started school, and that love has never left them. You don't need money, just a library, and some of your time. Bedtime reading with me and with their dad was what set them on the path to being the successful adults they are today.

If parents spent a bit less time watching crap like 'Million Pound Drop Live' (apparently someone on this show protested that no one ought to be expected to know 'stuff' like who Roger Bannister was) then maybe their kids would not be illiterate.

It does not help that primary schools spend a lot of time on the sort of crowd control which used to be reserved for secondary age kids - again, this all stems from the home and what is shown to children there.

- liz, London, 31/05/2011 12:44
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The coalition have been in power for over a year, and look at the state of education in London. They are clueless.

- Totally Confused, Ex London, 31/05/2011 12:26
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