Reading celebrated during Government Book Week 2016

Actor Ray Bishop with students from Okaihau School

More than 90,000 school children will this week be presented with free books to mark Government Book Week 2016
(4–10 July).

The books have been funded by the Ministry of Education in association with the Alan Duff Charitable Foundation.

Students from the more than 500 schools in the Duffy Books in Homes programme will be presented with the books. They have been able to choose from a selection of popular books including some written in te reo Māori.

More than 11 million books have been given to Kiwi children since the Duffy Books in Homes programme started in 1995.

The programme’s vision is to break the cycle of ‘booklessness’ in New Zealand by inspiring a love of books in Duffy Books in Homes children, so they become adults who inspire a love of reading.

Students from the schools registered in the programme get five free books of their choice each year. These are funded by the Ministry of Education and either by the schools themselves or by other sponsors of the programme.

During Government Book Week many schools invite their local Member of Parliament to an assembly where students are presented with their books.

Find out more about the Duffy Books in Homes programme(external link)