The Bookseller.com

2nd December 2008

DCSF concern on age-banding

15.09.08 Victoria Gallagher

The Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) has said that the Government will not interfere with the Publishers Association's age-banding initiative. It comes after minister for children Ed Balls sent a letter to the deputy leader of the House of Commons, Helen Goodman, raising concerns about the issue. "While we are broadly supportive of any measures which help parents to choose the right books for their children, we advise caution in this area”, Balls wrote, according to the Guardian.

Speaking to The Bookseller, the DCSF said: "We are appreciative of any way to get children reading more. We support any initiative that encourages reading. However each child is an individual and age banding can't be followed indiscriminately."

Balls said that his officials had met with publishers' representatives to discuss the proposal to age-band books earlier this year. Balls wrote that he advised "caution in this area", recommending that "parents seeking guidance about this [should] contact librarians or teachers who know about the full range of children's literature".

The revelation is likely to heap further pressure on children's publishers whose drive to age-band has already been hit by a high-profile author campaign, led by Philip Pullman, against the initiative.

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