General News
5 September, 2026
For the love of reading
A CAIRNS State High School student is calling on the community to help put books into children’s hands ahead of International Literacy Day on 8 September.
Evie Evans has been named a youth ambassador for the World Literacy Foundation, which is highlighting disparities in reading outcomes between students in Australia’s major cities and those in very remote schools.
According to ACARA’s NAPLAN 2026 figures cited by the Foundation, about 70% of students in Australia’s major city schools read at or above the expected standard, compared with 23% in very remote schools. Reading scores also declined across years 5, 7 and 9 in this year’s national results.
Evie said the scale of global illiteracy had changed how she viewed the issue.
“739 million people cannot read. That’s the entire population of Europe,” Evie said. “Reading opens up the world. Fifteen minutes a day builds the communication and focus that unlock countless pathways later, and every child deserves that.”
Elvie is planning a reading session with local primary school students to discuss the global shortage of learning resources.
