Measures presented in the Budget in tandem with other measures that are in the National Strategy for Education are intended to strengthen reading among Malta's students, said the Minister for Education Clifton Grima.

He said that reading is the basis of a complete education, and therefore the Ministry for Education is committed to continuing to support initiatives and programs to ensure that every child and, on a wider level, every person, has access to a wider range of reading books.

The Minister recalled two measures announced in the budget, which he said address reading. One of these measures, he said, is for those children whose families fall under Scheme 9, which amount to around 2,500. For these children, he said that the government will be providing a home library with a value of €150. He continued that another measure is a grant to buy books for children, with €20 to be spent on books at the National Book Fair to each student in primary, middle, and secondary schools.

"Two measures in which we are investing €1 million, and we are doing this to complement the existing programs that encourage reading, improve literacy, and continue to support Maltese publishers," said Minister Grima.

He also emphasized that the National Strategy for Education has other measures that address literacy. The Ministry for Education said that the goal is that by 2030, the percentage of 15-year-old students with low achievements in reading will be reduced. It continued that the Strategy also envisages the distribution of books according to age to each household, with activities that follow this distribution to foster greater commitment.

Grima said that there will also be the provision of a reading recovery program to reach all students who are experiencing literacy difficulties, as well as an introduction of the reading recovery program in the Maltese language.

He praised the National Literacy Agency for its work in this sector, including through several ongoing initiatives and programs intended to promote love of reading among students.

Grima said this as he distributed prizes to students at the Reading Champions ceremony.

The Ministry said that the National Literacy Agency has been organizing the Reading Champions ceremony since 2016 and so far in total, since this initiative started, 826 students have been awarded between the 11th and 13th years. It continued that the aim of this initiative is to give recognition not only to those students who like to read but also to students who commit themselves throughout the school year to learn to read or improve their reading skills and their understanding.

It stated that the seventh year students are nominated by the middle schools of each sector, state, church and independent, and this year 32 schools chose their Champions, with 96 students being rewarded.