Published Tuesday, 10 July, 2007 at 01:52 PM
JOINT STATEMENT
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
Minister for Education and Training and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Rod Welford
PREMIER THROWS ‘READING CHALLENGE’ OUT TO YOUNGSTERS
Premier Peter Beattie today urged Queensland schools, parents and students to beat the deadline and sign up for the 2007 Premier’s Reading Challenge before registrations close on Friday, July 13.
“Last year more than 47,000 Queensland children, from Prep to Year 3, read more than 870,000 books during the Challenge which was a wonderful achievement,” Mr Beattie said.
“I want to encourage even more children to join in this year and experience the wonderful world of books,” he said.
The 2007 Challenge has also been expanded to include students from Prep to Year 5, and already more than 560 schools have registered.
Mr Beattie said home-educated students and individual readers have also shown strong interest in the initiative.
“The Challenge is a great way to encourage young Queenslanders to read and experience books and I encourage as many children as possible, right across the State, to accept my Challenge and sign up,” he said.
“Reading is such an important part of the learning process. It boosts literacy skills and helps foster a lifelong commitment to learning.”
Education and Training Minister Rod Welford said a key commitment Queensland Government commitment was to ensure all students have the opportunity to develop strong foundations in literacy and numeracy in the early years as a basis for progress in all future learning.
“As students progress through their schooling, they should develop effective literacy and numeracy skills to support successful participation in the post-school years in training, work, or further study,” Mr Welford said.
Children who take up the Challenge and read the required number of books will receive a signed certificate from the Premier, and schools with the highest proportion of participating students will be recognised at an official ceremony later this year.
For details and registration go to www.education.qld.gov.au/schools/readingchallenge/
Media contacts: Premier’s Office 3224 4500
Minister’s Office 3237 1000
“Last year more than 47,000 Queensland children, from Prep to Year 3, read more than 870,000 books during the Challenge which was a wonderful achievement,” Mr Beattie said.
“I want to encourage even more children to join in this year and experience the wonderful world of books,” he said.
The 2007 Challenge has also been expanded to include students from Prep to Year 5, and already more than 560 schools have registered.
Mr Beattie said home-educated students and individual readers have also shown strong interest in the initiative.
“The Challenge is a great way to encourage young Queenslanders to read and experience books and I encourage as many children as possible, right across the State, to accept my Challenge and sign up,” he said.
“Reading is such an important part of the learning process. It boosts literacy skills and helps foster a lifelong commitment to learning.”
Education and Training Minister Rod Welford said a key commitment Queensland Government commitment was to ensure all students have the opportunity to develop strong foundations in literacy and numeracy in the early years as a basis for progress in all future learning.
“As students progress through their schooling, they should develop effective literacy and numeracy skills to support successful participation in the post-school years in training, work, or further study,” Mr Welford said.
Children who take up the Challenge and read the required number of books will receive a signed certificate from the Premier, and schools with the highest proportion of participating students will be recognised at an official ceremony later this year.
For details and registration go to www.education.qld.gov.au/schools/readingchallenge/
Media contacts: Premier’s Office 3224 4500
Minister’s Office 3237 1000