It would not be presumptuous to assume that reading is at the very basis of our daily existence. From reading delayed train notices to the daily news, it would be impossible to function in our society today without this necessary skill.

Yet the sad reality is as many as 750,000 children in the UK still do not have access to books to read via a school library.

This stat was on my mind during a recent trip to a primary school in my constituency of Rother Valley, where I was joined by the former Children’s Laureate, Cressida Cowell, to discuss child literacy.

A lack of access

I was deeply concerned to learn the extent of the lack of school libraries: one in seven primary schools does not have access to library facilities.

A real impact of an ever-evolving digital world is that it leaves communities - in particular, children - behind.

While there is no denying the benefits that the accessibility of online resources has upon our current education and society, for primary school children - especially those who grow up in deprived areas - it is far more challenging to source reading materials online or even access physical libraries.

It seems odd that at a crucial age for children learning to read, they simply do not always have the resources to aid this, despite the clear correlation between access to school libraries and higher literacy scores.

A perplexing situation

The availability of libraries has been proven to encourage children to read, but also serves to further improve literacy skills, with 73 per cent of pupils who have access to a library attaining higher literacy scores than those who do not.

Therefore, it is perplexing that not every primary school child in the UK has access to books and school libraries when it has been proven fundamental to children’s reading and writing growth. 

On a personal level, just like the best books, a library is a wonderful form of escapism. Upon my conversation with Cressida Cowell, I’ve canvassed many schools across Rother Valley over the past couple of months to assess their reading facilities.

I was delighted with the level of engagement - it was encouraging and confirmed to me that, with the right support, schools are receptive to prioritising reading.

On top of this, I have since delivered a Westminster Hall debate, entitled “Improving children’s literacy in disadvantaged areas”, with the hope of raising political awareness to ensure that every primary school throughout the UK has a library.

There is a real need to focus on how primary school libraries help improve children’s literacy in disadvantaged areas. They are indisputably a vital part of the education system. Numerous studies have shown a clear correlation between having a good school library and not only academic achievement and literacy, but a child’s attitude to learning as a whole.

Ultimately, improving children’s literacy clearly relies on the availability of school libraries and access to books.

Why funding is a must

Sadly, the reality is that availability and access to books for children relies on the government introducing a statutory requirement for all primary schools to possess a school library - backed by dedicated funding set aside for this purpose.

My strong belief in prioritising children’s literacy prompted me to meet the National Literacy Trust, Penguin and World Book Day.

I was incredibly pleased to learn of the invaluable work they do to raise awareness not only of the significant role libraries play in helping children reach their full potential, but of the benefits that reading for pleasure can bring.

In particular, the alliance between the National Literacy Trust and Penguin Random House, in the Primary School Library Alliance, is exhibiting incredible work through transforming library spaces in order to change the narrative where one in seven primary schools in England does not have a library.

As of 2022, the alliance has worked with more than 330 schools, and its mission is to help transform 1,000 primary school libraries by 2025 by giving them the books, training and support they require to make that possible.

This is an incredible initiative and is truly leading the way in showing the power that a school library can have on a child’s development and literacy attainment.

Fulfiling promises

“We must do more to help every child fulfil their potential” was a pledge made by the Schools White Paper.

I firmly believe the introduction of this statutory requirement for all primary schools backed by a funding commitment would be a force for change to make this truly possible and is something I am working to introduce.

This would not only improve the quality of a child’s access to books but to improve the rest of their lives.

Children are the future generation; therefore, it is crucial that we ensure they are provided with adequate resources to fully excel in order to change the narrative of 100,000 children leaving school and not being able to read.

Alexander Stafford is the Conservative MP for Rother Valley