ENGLISH teenagers are 18 months behind Chinese pupils when it comes to reading, new research has revealed.
Our 15-year-olds also trail behind those in countries such as Korea, Finland and Japan.
The devastating findings show how far England's education system has fallen behind its international competitors.
And they come just a month after another report found that Britain's schools lag behind Albania and Iran in maths and science.
Schools minister Nick Gibb said: "Our writers Charles Dickens, George Orwell and Ian McEwan are the finest in the world.
"It is time we were also among the best readers in the world."
The latest findings were uncovered by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
In its global rankings, England has slipped from seventh to 25th for reading.
For English pupils to reach Chinese standards, the proportion getting a GCSE in English would need to rise by 22 per cent.
Other countries outperforming England include New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway and Iceland. Ministers have announced plans to introduce a reading test for six-year-olds so those lagging behind can be identified early.
Tougher standards for spelling, punctuation and grammar are also being introduced.
It comes after The Sun launched its Get Britain Learning campaign.
Mr Gibb added: "The gulf between our 15-year-olds' reading abilities and those from other countries is stark a gap that starts to open in the very first few years of a child's education."
