One of the most inspiring educational community visits I have done recently was to go to Burnt Mill School for the opening of the new Library. I met some wonderful pupils who were passionate about books and were reading voraciously. The Head has also brought large numbers of Kindles which encourage the children even further - by bringing reading into the modern age. Large numbers of students are also reading The Times every day.
This emphasis on literacy has already had an effect. Burnt Mill has had greatly improved results for English and Maths.
Sadly, this experience is not replicated across all our schools. Yesterday, The Independent newspaper, reported that a majority of pupils - in 700 primary schools - cannot read or write. One in eight primary schools have failed to make progress in teaching the basics in literacy.
The statistics tell a horrific story: Half a million children left primary school in the last decade unable to read. Illiteracy levels across the country - including amongst adults is astonishingly high. Last week I Chaired a seminar in Parliament, with the Youth charity, Catch 22 and was told that 40% of prisoners are illiterate.
The failure to teach basic standards of literacy is criminal: If we are to succeed as a nation, literacy has to be the number one priority. I welcome Education Secretary's Michael Gove's efforts to bring back traditional methods of teaching literacy. But what is also needed is a combined effort from teachers and politicians alike.
P.S. It can be done. The newly independent Kurdish Region in Iraq cut illiteracy by a third in less than ten years.
P.P.S. The picture shows me at the Burnt Mill School event
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