Lack of reading is security threat by ‘leaving kids vulnerable to fake news from Russia’

Just 33% of kids aged over eight say they enjoy reading in their free time, down from 51% two decades ago. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson says it’s a national security threat

Britain’s reading crisis leaves kids more vulnerable to fake news from Russia, a minister warned.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the slump in children picking up books is a national security threat. Just 33% of kids aged over eight say they enjoy reading in their free time which is down from 51% two decades ago, according to the National Literacy Trust.

Education chiefs have now joined forces with the trust to declare 2026 a “national year of reading” with events being planned to tackle the crisis. Ms Phillipson said: “A decline of literacy, a dwindling of reading comprehension could even have an impact on our security as a country.

“As we’ve heard in recent months, and in December from the new head of MI6, the threat from Russia and from other foreign state actors is growing. And a dark new frontier is the disinformation spreading across social media and the wider internet.”

She added: “These threats are more sophisticated than ever, with higher production values designed to appear like legitimate news sources. To respond, we need a generation of critical thinkers.

“We need a generation of problem solvers, equipped to dissect what lands in front of them, to value the truth and to reject the easy temptations of the online world. In short, we need a generation of readers.”

It comes after new MI6 boss Blaise Metreweli warned last month that disinformation was a tool being used by Britain’s enemies.

The National Literacy Trust reading figures also found “enjoyment levels dropped for all children and young people regardless of their background in 2025”. And girls continued to enjoy stories more than boys.

Phillipson said government action being taken includes £5m cash for secondary schools to build their libraries by buying books.

Meanwhile, publishers are trying to tackle the decline and pull kids away from smartphones and social media. Firm Hachette is urging parents to spend 10 minutes a day reading with their child as part of a scheme dubbed “Raising Readers”.

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