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MILLIONS of children will leave primary school without being able to read, campaigners warned today.
According to new research, children’s reading levels are progressing more slowly than ever before — with 1.5 million at risk of falling short of “reading well by the age of 11 by 2025.”
Forty per cent of those affected come from poorer families.
The figures were published by a coalition of charities and education businesses including Save the Children, the National Literacy Trust, Teach First and Harper Collins.
Read On. Get On. campaign chairwoman Julia Cleverdon said it was “tragic and unfair” that those with more disadvantaged backgrounds were more likely to be unable to read by year 6.
The research also revealed that these poor literacy levels would mean that in a decade’s time children would not be able to enjoy popular kids’ books such as the Harry Potter series.
Shadow education secretary Tristam Hunt said: “David Cameron’s schools policy is taking education standards backwards.”
