One key finding of the CESR 2012-13 rapid assessment (mentioned yesterday) was that there is very little preschool provision in Myanmar. This is the relevant sentence on page 21 of the report: “Preschool classes that support Basic Education had been opened in only 6.7 per cent of Basic Education schools by academic year 2011-2012.” Major structural change will be needed to deal fully with this problem. In parallel, though, smaller initiatives can be taken to trigger quick change in educational attainment. An ideal candidate is Bookstart.

Bookstart was created chiefly by UK charity Booktrust, which has a history stretching back to 1921. In the early 1990s, it partnered with British academics and local authorities to launch a programme focused on early childhood learning. Today, it prioritizes working with children, as the greatest opportunity to change lives is there, and with families, as they are the social units with greatest impact. In the UK, Bookstart offers free books to all children at two key preschool ages: one year old, and three to four years old. It also provides support and guidance to parents and child carers. Since 1992, it has distributed 52 million free books.

Booktrust’s stated aim is simple: “to inspire a love of reading that will give children a flying start in life”. Independent research commissioned by the charity indicates that early reading increases life chances and improves social mobility. It also cites an OECD report from 2002: “Enjoying reading is more important for children’s educational success than their family’s socio-economic status.”

In little more than two decades since its UK launch, Bookstart has been adopted in many other jurisdictions. In Asia, it was introduced in Japan in 2000, South Korea in 2003, Thailand in 2005, and Taiwan in 2006. Typically there are also linked programmes for older children. However, given the almost total lack of preschool provision in Myanmar, and the huge importance of early childhood learning, it would make sense to begin here.

Moreover, it would surely be a relatively straightforward matter to introduce Bookstart in Myanmar, and generate immediate improvements in a system that will clearly take years to reform. At least some of UNICEF’s $87,000 a month rent could certainly be more productively channeled in this direction.