Dear Editor,
As custodians of school libraries, we awaited with bated breath the unveiling of the policy on literacy, numeracy, and digital proficiency (2024-2033) by Education Minister Norma Foley TD. Acknowledging the requirement for a shared endeavour between educators, leaders, learners, family, society, and policy architects, she introduced the scheme on Thursday (“Lessons on digital media literacy for students to battle misinformation” News, May 16th).
However, our anticipation turned to incredulity when neither the main policy blueprint nor the separately issued execution plan acknowledged the role of school libraries, even in passing. The overarching policy repeatedly alludes to libraries but does so solely in regard to community libraries. It presents a vision of success characterised by “an upsurge in library service usage by primary and post-primary learners, teachers and schools”. It is unavoidable to infer that the education department is deeply focused on harnessing links between schools and community libraries, and intends to subtly renege on its 2005 pledge to roll out the Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP) Demonstration Library Project to all institutions promoting equal opportunities (DEIS), which cater to socially and economically disadvantaged communities.
A mere 30 out of 235 Deis schools have the advantage of a well-equipped school library, managed by a trained librarian. If the Department of Education genuinely aspires to excel in this area, it should maintain its promise to equip each Deis school with a well-staffed library. This goal has been tagged as an urgent national priority in recent reports of the Joint Oireachtas Committee.
Yours sincerely,
Andrea Dillon, Secretary,
Kathleen Moran, Chair,
School Libraries Group,
The Library Association of Ireland,
Dublin 2.