đź“° Adult Literacy News Summary
Wales’s reading problem – and the data gap behind it
11-Feb-2026 - UK
The schools watchdog’s latest warnings on literacy in Wales will sound familiar to many. Estyn’s Chief Inspector says standards are too variable in schools and, remarkably, that the literacy skills of too many of the teachers themselves are weak. This is perhaps unsurprising when the report also claims that universities are rarely equipping student teachers with the knowledge needed of how to teach reading well.
Read moreEssential skills are the missing test of the skills white paper
10-Feb-2026 - UK
The skills white paper set out the government’s plans for skills reform to deliver increased productivity and a skilled workforce. So what does it mean for people who could benefit most from the opportunity for a second chance in learning? The white paper recognises that 8.5 million adults have low essential skills, like literacy and numeracy. It notes that 15 per cent of the working-age population don’t hold a level 2 qualification.
Read moreBookshop donates ÂŁ3,000 to schools and library
10-Feb-2026 - UK
A bookshop has begun 2026 by handing thousands of pounds to local schools and the town library. It follows a record year at Castle Books in Totnes that volunteers said proved the power of a community that loved reading. The second‑hand bookshop, run entirely by volunteers, reinvests all profits into local literacy projects.
Read moreLandmark year as Victorious Festival donates its highest ever annual charitable donation to the city
09-Feb-2026 - UK
Victorious Festival has wrapped up its landmark year by donating the most it has ever given to local charities - as well as generating £27m for Portsmouth. A record £173,484 was donated by the festival in 2025, bringing the festival’s total charitable contributions since 2014 to over £926,370. The funding supports organisations championing mental health, accessibility, wellbeing, education, grassroots sport and more, including Tonic Music for Mental Health, Read Easy, Dive Ability, British Red Cross Gaza Appeal, Arms Around The Child, and The Roberts Centre.
Read moreGen Z Reading Levels Hit 20-Year Low as UK Enters 'National Year of Reading' to Combat Literacy Crisis
05-Feb-2026 - UK
For years, the publishing industry has clung to the 'BookTok' phenomenon as proof of a literary renaissance among the youth. However, new 2026 data from the National Literacy Trust (NLT) tells a more sobering story of a 'literacy recession.' Despite the viral aesthetics of shelf-organisation videos and 'aesthetic' reading vlogs, the actual frequency of reading among Gen Z has plummeted to record lows, with enjoyment levels reaching their nadir in two decades.
Read moreIt’s madness to cut jail education as signs of improvement emerge
04-Feb-2026 - UK
An HM Inspectorate of Prisons report on the teaching of reading in jails has highlighted emerging examples of excellent practice, with prisons putting literacy at the heart of their regimes. But progress is now at risk due to national funding decisions. Many people in prison struggle to read – almost two-thirds are at or below entry level 3 for literacy, compared to just 15 per cent of the general population. A fifth, nearly 10,000 people last year, are at entry level 1, the lowest level.
Read moreCamilla opens primary school library in project to boost reading among children
04-Feb-2026 - UK
The Queen marked a milestone moment in an ambitious project to open a library in every primary school by launching the latest in an inner-city institution. The Libraries for Primaries campaign was co-founded by the National Literacy Trust, which the Queen supports as patron, and Penguin Books. The new library is a mid-way point in the campaign.
Read moreStormzy backs bid to get adults into books: 'Reading really is a superpower'
03-Feb-2026 - UK
British music icon Stormzy is urging adults to get into reading after giving his backing to Quick Reads. The Reading Agency’s UK wide-initiative aims to boost literacy through short, accessible books designed for non-readers, lapsed readers, neurodivergent readers or people with short attention spans. Almost half of the UK adults The Reading Agency polled said they didn’t read and the Westminster government has designated 2026 as the National Year of Reading to reignite a love of books.
Read moreLargest-Ever Shared Book Reading Study Shows Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Dramatically Strengthens Early Literacy in the UK
03-Feb-2026 - UK
New groundbreaking research1 released at the start of the National Year of Reading, drawing on the largest dataset ever conducted on shared book reading, reaffirms that Dolly Parton's Imagination Library significantly strengthens early literacy skills for children and families across the UK and the four other countries where the programme operates. The findings reinforce the power of shared reading in the earliest years of life
Read morePakistan ranks lowest in South Asia on literacy despite slow gains, FAFEN says
02-Feb-2026 - Pakistan
Pakistan remains the lowest-ranked country in South Asia for literacy, with 63% of people aged 10 and above able to read and write, according to a new review by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN). It shows literacy has risen from 60% in 2018-2019 to 63% in 2024-2025, an increase of three percentage points in around six years. Analysts described the pace of improvement as “alarmingly slow” for a country of more than 240 million people.
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