ACT to fund T/L training

ACT Government to fund training for 50 teacher librarians

ACT Liberals promise to fund a T/L for every public school

The upcoming ACT elections could be a game-changer for public school students and their literacy and information literacy skills. Canberra Liberals have promised funds for qualified TLs in every public school.

“ACER REPORT REVEALS DATA ABOUT STAFFING IN SA SCHOOL LIBRARIES”

“The School Library Association of South Australia (SLASA) commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research to survey school libraries across all South Australian schools. The census collected data on school library staffing, facilities, funding, and support. The results reveal that schools with a qualified teacher librarian are more likely to have improved student literacy outcomes.” Read more here, with access to the full report.

Australia’s new Children’s Laureate speaks up for teacher librarians and school libraries

Ursula Dubosarsky on the importance of school libraries and teacher librarians.

NSW Teachers Federation takes up call for qualified teacher librarians in every school

“Consistent with the 2019 Annual Conference decision, Guaranteeing the teacher-librarian role in schools, a Special Interest Group has been reestablished for Federation members who are teacher-librarians and a survey of teacher-librarians is being developed to further inform Federation about the extent to which the Department’s library policy and school librarian staffing entitlements are being applied.” See full article at :
New chapter for NSW Teachers Federation TL Special Interest Group

NSW Parliament passes motion in support of TL staffing

The NSW Parliament has *unanimously* passed an Upper House motion from the Greens. It calls for quality school libraries and teacher librarians in EVERY public school. With the proposed demise of Local Schools Local Decisions, a policy which gave principals responsibility for staffing (with reducing budgets), there is the possibility that the long downhill road since 2011 could be reversed. Watch the literacy rates skyrocket! Congratulations to David Shoebridge and the NSW Greens. May other states follow suit.

David Shoebridge, NSW MLC, followed up with questions to the Education Minister in Education Budget Estimates hearing.

Re-establishing the school library turns literacy results around

Adam Carey, for The Age, reports on Melbourne high school principal who turned student results around by re-establishing their school library. Read Melbourne school turns its results around by reviving its dying library

Research Confirms Value of School Librarians

Recently released review of the research confirms the value of school librarians. Article in American School Library Journal. November 26 2019.

RN Life Matters on the Value of Teacher Librarians and Their Dwindling Numbers

Lyndell Sellars, head of learning resources at Cairns State High School
and Dr Margaret Merga, senior lecturer and library researcher at Edith Cowan University interviewed on ABC RN Life Matters

https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/importance-of-teacher-librarians-becoming-home-owning-millenial/11592746

“School libraries hit by the loss of a dying breed as teacher librarians enter ‘survival mode'”

By Rebecca Carmody, ABC News

“Researchers have reported an “alarming” loss in the number of qualified teacher librarians in schools, warning student literacy will continue to suffer if the trend is not reversed.

Key points:
There are concerns the number of teacher librarians has fallen to a critical low
Experts say they are vital to school literacy outcomes and should be mandatory
Education officials say library staffing in government schools is up to principals”

Full article here.