Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Literacy problems show Charles Dickens's world persists, says minister

Charles Dickens
Shadows of Charles Dickens's world persist, said Nick Gibb. Photograph: Allstar/Cinetext/

Poor neighbourhoods in England are still beset by Victorian-era levels of illiteracy, the schools minister has claimed.
In a speech on reading, Nick Gibb said that despite two centuries of technological and social revolution, there were "still shadows of Charles Dickens's world in our own".
He said that, just as in Victorian times, literacy problems were still "heavily orientated towards the poorest in our communities".
Speaking at Stockwell Park high school in south London, Gibb said the coalition was trying to tackle this by expecting primary schools to teach children to read through phonics – a method that breaks words into sounds.
Ministers have also introduced a reading test for six-year-olds that requires them to accurately spot 30 words. Those unable to do so will be given extra help.
Gibb said he was considering issuing all children with a library card when they started school and a map of where their local library was – an idea proposed to him by the children's author Michael Rosen.
Full story.

No comments: