Getting pupils back to learning

Covid-19 has closed schools and libraries across the world. For children living in some of the most disadvantaged communities, reading and learning has all but stopped. These children are at risk of falling far behind in their education and even failing their exams, shattering their dreams of a brighter future.

Book Aid International, the UK’s leading international book donation and library development charity, is working hard to make sure that when schools around the world reopen, children have the books they need to catch up.

Speaking on schools reopening, Michael Weah, WE-CARE Foundation, Liberia, said: "Students will be going to the next grade with only half of what they should have learned. This is where books come in."

Operating in accordance with social distancing guidelines, Book Aid International is responding to requests from partners, sending thousands of brand new books to some of the world’s poorest communities, so that when libraries and schools reopen, children find them filled with inspiring new books to help them rediscover the joy of reading, reignite their passion for learning and make up for lost time.

Since 2014, players have helped Book Aid International to send 337,089 brand new books to readers across the world and filled 322 under-resourced schools in seven countries with brand new books through Book Aid International’s Inspiring Readers programme.

Thanks to players’ ongoing support many more pupils around the world will have the books they need to help them get back to learning when their schools reopen.