- Early childhood centres are invited to take part in the final weeks of the 2025 Premier's Reading Challenge.
- The annual State-wide competition encourages children to discover the joys of reading, and helps to lift literacy skills.
- Early childhood centres can now join more than 100,000 students and children already participating in the Challenge.
The Crisafulli Government is delivering a fresh start for education and has invited early childhood centres to join more than 100,000 participants already registered in the 2025 Premier's Reading Challenge.
The State-wide initiative encourages students to develop and build a love for reading, with an ambitious target set this year of completing two million books before Friday, 22 August.
Early childhood centres can register and help meet the 2025 target by tallying the number of child participants and their experiences with books, texts or literacy activities.
Parents or guardians can also get involved in the Challenge by registering and reading books at home with their children.
This year marked a fresh start for the Challenge, with 2025 labelled the Year of Reading and better resources, training, and targeted masterclasses rolling out to teachers to help put a renewed focus on reading.
Mandatory Year 1 phonics and numeracy checks will also help to lift results by providing quick, efficient, and reliable methods to measure progress and prevent students from falling behind.
The Crisafulli Government's $21.9 billion Education Budget laid the foundations for a fresh start with $1.09 billion committed to build 15 new schools and $222.1 million for the More Teachers, Better Education Plan, which includes investment over four years to reduce red tape for teachers, tackle behaviour in the classroom, and create safer schools.
Minister for Education John-Paul Langbroek said the tables had started to turn after a decade of neglect under Labor, but there was more work to be done.
"The Crisafulli Government is getting back to the basics to deliver a world class education by encouraging more reading, writing and numeracy," Minister Langbroek said.
"The Premier's Reading Challenge is a free and fun initiative that encourages children of all ages to discover the joys of reading.
"This year we have already had 862 schools and 566 individual readers registered, but we would love to see more in these final weeks.
"School students started the challenge back in May and it's wonderful to see our little learners are getting involved.
"This Challenge is part of our plan to get back to the basics to lift results with mandatory Year 1 phonics and numeracy checks, more support for teachers in the classroom and less red tape."
