With stressed families less likely to have time and money to spare for books, young readers are losing out. It’s time to boost school libraries
Anxieties about children and reading are not unusual, but news that fewer than half of those aged between eight and 18 admit to actually enjoying it – the lowest level since 2005 – should raise a red flag. The survey, conducted by the National Literacy Trust ahead of World Book Day last Thursday, also revealed a worrying picture of growing inequality.
One in 10 of 3,000 parents and carers interviewed across the UK said they were too stressed to read to their child because of economic pressures, doubling to nearly one in five among those who described themselves as struggling financially. Meanwhile, 20% said they were spending less on books for their children as a result of the cost of living crisis, rising to 36% among those in financial difficulty.
