To illustrate the extent of the literacy problem in the UK:
- In 2024, 26% of 11 year-olds left primary school in England not meeting the expected reading standard, according to the Department for Education
- Disadvantaged children are disproportionately represented in the cohort struggling to reach expected literacy levels, and in 2022, the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers was at its widest in 10 years
The longer-term consequences of this are hugely damaging for both the child and for society more widely:
- Teenagers without basic literacy skills are significantly more likely to be excluded from school, commit crime, and to spend time in prison
- In 2023, the Ministry of Justice released statistics on the UK prison population, stating that 65% of prisoners had literacy skills no higher than those expected of an 11-year-old. Annually, it costs more than £40,000 to incarcerate each individual
- In 2021, it was estimated that seven million people (16.6% of working age adults) in the UK have "very poor" literacy skills
- In addition to the financial and social costs of crime and time in prison, the economic cost of poor literacy has been estimated to be £81 billion per year to the UK economy
- Poor literacy can lead to limited job prospects, poor health, low self-esteem, and even reduced life expectancy
- Adults with poor literacy skills will be locked out of the job market and, as a parent, they won't be able to support their child's learning
- Teaching children to read can be done relatively inexpensively and is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce young offending and crime, as it raises their potential and the opportunities available to them