Government brings reading home

&NewLine;<p><img class&equals;" alignright size-full wp-image-631" style&equals;"margin&colon; 5px&semi; float&colon; right&semi;" src&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;schoolnewsnz&period;fastrackdev&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2013&sol;09&sol;Duffy&lowbar;BooksinHomes&period;jpg" alt&equals;"Duffy BooksinHomes" width&equals;"200" height&equals;"150" &sol;>For 17 years the Government has been adding to home libraries around the country thanks to its support of the Duffy Books in Homes programme&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p> <&excl;--more--> <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>In addition to their overall support of the programme&comma; the Government&comma; via the MoE&comma; supplies a free brand new book of their choice to almost 100&comma;000 primary and intermediate students in low decile schools each year&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The books are chosen from a catalogue&comma; much like the Lucky Book Club&comma; and schools invite Government representatives to present the books at a special assembly at the end of Term Two&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Last month&comma; Members of Parliament&comma; local body representatives and other civil servants are visited 522 schools throughout New Zealand to share their experiences of reading with children before helping to present their books&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Minister of Education&comma; Hon Hekia Parata&comma; is a long-time supporter of the programme&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;I fully support the Duffy programme and the wonderful work it is doing to support and encourage parents&comma; families and whanau to become involved in their child&&num;8217&semi;s reading&comma;&&num;8221&semi; she said&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Since the official launch in 1995 with 80 schools&comma; 16&comma;000 students and 14 sponsors&comma; the Duffy Books in Homes programme has grown to encompass 522 schools&comma; around 100&comma;000 students and more than 200 sponsors in 2013&period; More than eight million books have been distributed to children in low-decile schools since its inception and the programme now distributes more than 600&comma;000 books annually&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;