Get London Reading ‘to help 1,500 pupils’
A campaign to tackle the problems facing the one in four children who cannot read when leaving school has tipped the £250,000 mark.
More than 1,500 pupils will get a helping hand in reading through the London Evening Standard's Get London Reading initiative, the newspaper reports.
The scheme aims to better skills by providing mentors and extra learning materials.
Eyewear retailer Specsavers gave £25,000 to the campaign and the rest of the money has been raised through donations from the Standard's readers.
Julie Nixon, spokeswoman for the charity Volunteer Reading Help partnered with the Standard for the campaign, said: "These fantastic donations will provide life-changing literacy support to disadvantaged children. The response has been incredible."
Figures showed that 25 per cent of pupils leaving primary school do not have the required ability to read and write and are likely to struggle in further education.
European commissioner Androulla Vassiliou has praised the initiative and said she will consider adapting the key elements of the campaign for schools across the continent.
