Warning as children shun books in favour of Facebook

Researchers said “reading frequency declines with age”, particularly when
children leave primary school at 11. In the last few years of primary
education, children are almost six times more likely to be classed as
prolific readers than those in secondary schools.

Older pupils were also “considerably more likely to say that they have not
read any book in the last month compared with their younger counterparts”.

Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, has called on all pupils to read 50
books a year as part of a national drive to improve literacy standards.
Ministers have already outlined plans to introduce a reading test for
children in England at the age of six to identify those struggling to read
at the start of primary school.

The vast majority of parents are opposed to the use of lotteries to award
school places, according to the British Social Attitudes survey. Only eight
per cent believe random ballots should be used as a tie–breaker during the
admissions process.

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