Fears over literacy skill in Welsh schools

The campaign group, Read On. Get On. has warned that around 26,000 children are at risk of leaving Welsh primary schools unable to read, over the next five years.

The group claimed that of the 26,000, 10,000 were likely to be from poor backgrounds and argued that ‘decisive action’ needed to be taken to allow them to fulfil their potential. The campaign group outlined that children who read well by the age of 11 do better at schools, achieve better exam results and perform better in the workplace.

It has called upon the government to aim for all youngsters to start secondary schools as confident readers by 2025. It recommends that more money should be invested in the early years workforce, including specialist support and measures introduced to help parents encourage reading at home.

Mary Powell-Chandler, chair of Read On. Get On. said: "We know that this is a challenging ambition, but it is wholly achievable and within our grasp if we focus our efforts.”

A spokesman for the Welsh government has maintained that literacy and numeracy will be ‘at the heart’ of the new curriculum. He added that a £6.3 million programme was also in the works, to provide qualifications for the early years workforce.