4 Comments

• pnorth@st-peters.surrey.sch.uk replied on 20 Oct 2010 at 11:49

  I would like to suggest that an Investors in School Libraries Award. I think this may be one of the only ways to get school leaders to become excited about books and reading and for reading to be encouraged throughout the school. By creating this type of award, schools will be required to embed reading into the fabric of the curriculum and like other 'Investors' awards, schools will have to demonstrate that the use of books is constant and not just for a few weeks to impress the inspectors

• STBull replied on 20 Oct 2010 at 11:49

  How any competent government of any political stripe can seriously promote literacy while at the same time refusing to make school libraries statutory is to me quite simply baffling. Well funded, purpose-built libraries, adequately staffed and managed by professionally qualifed librarians is a proven abd cost-effective way of improving literacy and attainment across the age and ability spectrum.

  The fact that convicted criminals in England have a statuatory right to a library service but not our primary and secondary students is a scandal. With the ever increasing cuts to public services already underway, the destruction of our public library system seems inevitable. When the school library is inadequate or in some new Academy schools entirely absent, where can students go to meet their information and leisure needs? The public library has always been an excellent companion for a great school library but never a substitute. As more public libraries are slashed or closed the future for our children looks bleaker than ever.

• readingfreak replied on 20 Oct 2010 at 11:49

  This report acts as a two edged sword. Heads can, depending on their stage of enlightenment regarding the essential role school libraries play in the attainment of their students, decide that as a wasted resource the best way forward would be to abolish it completely or take action to ensure that it is used to its fullest potential.
  In these seriously dangerous financial times we are encountering I can see the first option would be tempting. However I feel it is only by spending time talking to their librarians that Heads will ever fully understand what covert contribution to academic success these hard working professionals are making.

• youthlibSE replied on 8 Nov 2010 at 11:40

  I feel there has to be two angles, one to push schools to integrate their libraries and those who run them into their core work, and the other to give funding for trained professionals and book stock. One without the other is useless.

  Schools are highly pressurised by various govt edicts and it is only in special cases that they go beyond this. You would get more uniform integration if it was specified by govt and/or ofsted. However, it is virtually impossible to do this without qualified staff and a decent book budget. It needn't be a whole qualified librarian per school but several primary schools libraries could be run by one librarian with volunteers and other supporting staff.