Research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies has found that children from low income backgrounds that possess high reading skills at the age of ten, will earn 21 per cent more than someone of the same age and from the same background by the age of 38. Conversely, children from richer backgrounds with higher reading skills at the same age, will tend to earn ten per cent more than their peers.
The report, The Power of Reading, was constructed by the Read On, Get On campaign and serves as an encouragement for government policy makers to ensure that all children leave primary school with a good level of literacy and reading skills. In order to do this, the report calls for a commitment for graduates to lead lessons in every nursery by 2020, and urged university leavers to join the profession.
John Cleverdon, who chairs the campaign, said: "Every child deserves a fair start in life – regardless of the wealth of their family. By providing quality and qualified teaching in every nursery, we can ensure every child arrives at school with the building blocks in place to learn to read and succeed."
The government has announced the locations of 19 new Technical Excellence Colleges, backed by £175 million investment in skills training in priority areas.
New research suggests that eight out of 10 people (80%) back banning cars in streets around schools to encourage children to travel by healthier alternatives.
The government is proposing that schools appoint a lead governor with designated responsibility for school food, as part of its reforms to school food standards.
The government has set out plans to reform School Food Standards - the first time in over a decade - and is launching a nine-week consultation on the changes.
The government is launching a new programme to support schools in areas of high knife crime and improve pupils’ safety on their way to and from school.