Press release: Challenge to make 100 low-cost classics available to schools
Published on The Hub (https://thehub.walthamforest.gov.uk)
Press release: Challenge to make 100 low-cost classics
available to schools
Schools Minister Nick Gibb says publishers should make classic books available at reduced prices,
so all children can read them.
Please note that this article was originally published by the DfE.
Schools Minister Nick Gibb today (17 November 2015) challenged publishers to make 100 classic
books available at low cost, so all pupils have the chance to read them.
Texts such as ‘Great Expectations’, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘Jane Eyre’ should be made available to
secondary schools at reduced prices.
Well-known children’s book publishers Penguin have suggested 100 books from their Black Classics
that they could make available for low prices, and Scholastic have offered to give schools 26 books
for as little as £1.50 a copy.
Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:
Under our plan to extend opportunity to every child, we want every pupil to have the chance
to be taught and read a wide range of literary classics which can inspire a life-long love of
reading.
Access to these wonderful novels shouldn’t be the preserve of the few.
I want every secondary school to have a stock of classics such as ‘Great Expectations’, ‘Pride
and Prejudice’ and ‘Jane Eyre’ so that whole classes across the country can enjoy them
together.
Books become free from copyright 70 years after the author’s death - and the minister is
encouraging publishers to make these titles available at low cost to schools.
As part of this government’s one nation agenda, the Department for Education wants all children to
be introduced to the classics of English literature, especially if these books are not on their
bookshelves at home.
The minister unveiled his challenge during a speech at the Publishers’ Association conference today.
Earlier this year the government issued a call to publishers, schools, literacy organisations and early
years’ providers to join forces in a bid to make English pupils the most literate in Europe by 2020.
International surveys show that the reading ability of our 9- and 10-year-olds in England are
currently the sixth best readers in Europe - with the top 18% on a par with the best in Europe.
Since the phonics check was introduced at primary level in 2012, 120,000 more children are on track
to becoming excellent readers.
In August, we announced the first steps in the government’s literacy campaign, including:
funding the Reading Agency to extend their popular Chatterbooks scheme and set up new
book clubs in 200 more primary schools all over the country
supporting the Reading Agency to work with schools and get more year 3 pupils enrolled at
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Press release: Challenge to make 100 low-cost classics available to schools
Published on The Hub (https://thehub.walthamforest.gov.uk)
their local library to help them get into the library habit early
Textbook challenge
The minister also praised publishers for responding to his call for better quality textbooks after
saying the ‘anti-textbook ethos’ in English schools needed to end.
He said that some ‘great strides’ have been made - particularly in mathematics - but called for more
good textbooks to be made available.
Teachers in 35 primary maths hub schools have been trialling 2 English adaptations of Singapore
mathematics textbooks in their schools: ‘Maths No Problem’ and ‘Inspire Maths’.
The textbooks are based upon the mastery approach to teaching.
Notes to editors
Discussions with publishers about what books they can make available are in the early stages - and
government will not be stipulating what titles should be included.
DfE enquiries
Central newsdesk 020 7783 8300
General enquiries 0370 000 2288
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News source: https://thehub.walthamforest.gov.uk/news-source/govuk
Source URL: https://thehub.walthamforest.gov.uk/news/press-release-challenge-make-100-lowcost-classics-available-schools
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