John Brumby - Premier's Reading Challenge

Victoria's enthusiastic young bookworms have smashed the Premier's Reading Challenge record by page-turning through an amazing 3.85 million books during this year's event.

Premier John Brumby today visited the National Gallery of Victoria with Education Minister Bronwyn Pike to celebrate the success of this year's program.

"I am thrilled that Victoria's Prep to Year 10 students have approached the reading challenge with such enthusiasm," Mr Brumby said.

"With more than 3.8 million books read this year, it's clear the Premier's Reading Challenge continues to inspire and engage right across Victoria.

"I'm also pleased to announce we have finalised our latest allocation of $1 million in funding for public libraries across Victoria to buy books on the Premier's Reading Challenge booklist.

"Our Government made a commitment to provide $6 million to the Premier's Reading Challenge Book Fund and the $1 million allocated this year will help public libraries buy even more books.

"Reading builds strong literacy skills, which are the foundation for many of the challenges young people will face in future years during further study and employment.

"The Premier's Reading Challenge is helping students discover a love for reading -- and that's a great thing to achieve."

Mr Brumby said with more than 7000 books on Premier's Reading Challenge booklist, there was something for every young person to enjoy.

"Each year, the Challenge has grown in popularity, and since it began in 2005, students have read more than 18.3 million books," he said.

"I was pleased to join Ms Pike at the National Gallery of Victoria today to present 22 Victorian schools with certificates for their outstanding contribution to the Challenge."

Ms Pike said in addition to the young bookworms at Victorian schools, it was the hard work of teachers, parents and librarians that encouraged more students to read books.

"By ensuring our children have spent more time reading during the Challenge, families, teachers and librarians have helped our kids develop their literacy skills," Ms Pike said.

"When parents, schools and communities work together we can achieve amazing outcomes -- and our students have demonstrated that by reading millions and millions of books during this year's Premier's Reading Challenge."

As part of the Premier's Reading Challenge, all students in Years 3 to 10 were asked read 15 books or more by August 31.

For students in Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 the challenge was to read 30 books by August 31.

The schools that received certificates for their efforts were:

• Auburn South Primary School
• Baden Powell P-9 College
• Beth Rivkah Ladies College
• Beveridge Primary School
• Buln Buln Primary School
• Canadian Lead Primary School
• Christ Our Holy Redeemer School
• Glen Huntly Primary School
• Good Shepherd School
• Holy Rosary School
• Kilberry Valley Primary School
• Mandama Primary School
• Meadows Primary School
• Newhaven Primary School
• Plenty Parklands Primary School
• Shepparton East Primary School
• St Augustine's College Kyabram
• St Carlo Borromeo Primary School
• Wantirna Heights School
• Weeroona College Bendigo
• Western English Language School
• Woodend Primary School

For more information, visit www.education.vic.gov.au/prc

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Premier
• John
• Brumby
• Minister
• for
• Education
• Bronwyn
• Pike