Campaigns

Joanne dismayed about the lack of progress in primary school literacy standards

Joanne was dismayed, though not surprised, to read that the millions of pounds Labour has pumped into the education system has had a negligible impact upon standards of literacy within our primary schools. The Cambridge Primary Review is the most comprehensive study of primary level schooling for decades and its latest briefing papers indicate that government claims about an advance in reading skills amongst children of this age are based on a testing system that seriously exaggerates any changes in attainment levels. Not only are these tests misleading but the pressure that they place on students is manifesting itself in a widespread loss of love for reading amongst children.

Commenting on these findings Joanne said: ‘This report serves to highlight the inadequacies of Labour’s policy on education. One in five children are leaving primary school unable to read to an acceptable standard and yet the education minister is content to hide behind his figures and talk of progress, utterly disregarding the findings of comprehensive, impartial studies such as this. Complacency of this kind is unacceptable and is severely undermining the life chances and future opportunities available to our children.'

To read the latest Cambridge Primary Review briefing papers, please click on this link

Joanne Launches Online Literacy Campaign

• Campaign to raise public awareness of the 20% of children leaving primary school unable to read
• Interactive campaign to increase participation of children and parents with the issue
• Access to advice and guidance from Westminster-based literacy charity, Real Action
• Online survey gets children to give details of their reading habits, favourite books and access to reading materials
• Links to reading schemes run by public libraries

Joanne today launched an online literacy campaign, urging the Government to tackle the high number of children leaving primary school every year unable to read properly. The interactive campaign, run online through Joanne’s new website, asks children to fill in a short questionnaire outlining their reading habits, their favourite book and their access to books and reading materials. Joanne plans to use this information to work with the award winning, Conservative led, Westminster Council to attain maximum parent and child engagement in the library facilities.

Announcing the launch of the campaign Joanne said: ‘Being able to read is not just one of life’s most important skills, it is also the key to being able to enjoy a world of stories and play which is such an enriching part of any child’s upbringing. It is unforgivable that one in five children leaving primary school still cannot read properly, thus limiting their life chances and future opportunities. Our campaign is going to raise awareness of this vital issue and put pressure on the Government to do more for the children being left behind.’

Help us to unlock the potential of those children being let down by our education system by clicking here to participate in Joanne's interactive literacy campaign

Joanne Cash and Michael Gove MP visit the Butterfly Reading Group

• Shadow Minister pledges support for ‘innovative’ and ‘excellent’ charity

• Butterfly Reading Group faces uncertain future and could face problems similar to Peckham’s Kid’s Company

Michael Gove MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools & Families and Joanne Cash, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Westminster North, both visited the charity Real Action’s Butterfly Reading Group in Queen’s Park and praised their ‘excellent’ work whilst urging the Government to provide greater support and backing for the project whose outlook is uncertain due to a funding squeeze.

The Butterfly Saturday Reading School teaches 150 children aged between five and 12 to read through phonics in classes held on Saturday mornings and also teaches adults literacy and English. The results are impressive for both children and adults. 30 one hour classes can advance a child’s reading ability by 13 months and a 16 week adult course can see adults with previously no English at all progress to an intermediate standard. Recent evidence also shows that improving children’s literacy is an effective long-term measure in cutting youth crime and anti-social behaviour.

The charity’s co-founder and Education Director Katie Ivens this week was named in the Evening Standard’s 1000 most influential people in London 2007 for her work on the scheme and in the wider community. However despite this and the project’s excellent track record, its future remains uncertain due to tightening purse strings and a lack of easily available funds.

Speaking at the charity’s home on the Mozart Estate, Michael Gove MP said: ‘After ten years of Labour and huge taxpayer expense in our education system, literacy standards in our schools remain unacceptably low. The Butterfly Reading Group’s excellent results working with kids from a range of backgrounds and nationalities shows how, with innovative teaching methods, real, tangible improvements in our children’s education can be achieved.’

Joanne, who has supported and followed the work of the charity since her selection earlier this year, said: ‘Katie Ivens and her team of volunteers provide the young people of Harrow Road and Queen’s Park with an opportunity to improve their education and life chances, an opportunity which many other children up and down the country do not have. The Government must do more to ensure that vital community projects such as this, which are the engine rooms of social mobility and future opportunity, have the funding and support they need to continue their excellent work.’

Ivens and the local parents and residents who run Real Action are desperate to continue the project and help more young people.  But they’re worried about the future: ‘We celebrated ten years of the Butterfly project this year and hundreds of local children in that time have benefited from the scheme. All children want to read and all adults want to learn English and we want to be there to help them fulfil this desire. But when we look at our balance sheet and the problems of other high profile charities, like Kid’s Company, we fear for the future and wonder whether we will be around for another ten years. We badly need donations.’