TV soap Brookside has been recruited for a new Government drive to boost reading standards.

Education Secretary David Blunkett said this school year would be the "National Year of Reading", with more than £50 million earmarked for the literacy drive.

As a key element, Brookside will run story lines about reading and illiteracy to raise the profile of the issue with children and parents. Ministers have also approached the producers of other soaps, such as EastEnders and Coronation Street, to see if they will follow the lead of Brookside's Phil Redmond.

The new scheme will involve spending £21 million retraining 190,000 teachers and £19 million buying thousands of new books for schools.

Mr Blunkett's announcement today fleshed out Mr Blair's promise in yesterday's keynote speech to boost the number of 11-year-olds able to read well to 80pc.

He considers the involvement of Brookside - one of the most popular soaps with younger viewers - a key element in the new strategy.

Plot lines stressing the advantages and importance of being able to read properly and the problems caused by illiteracy aim to involve viewers and ensure that both children and parents are prompted to make the most of the 12-month campaign.

Mr Blunkett was proud of the improvement in results of 11-year-olds in nationwide school tests.

But he told the conference: "We cannot continue with a situation where more than a third of 11 year olds enter secondary school unable to read or write properly."

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