Rosen calls on ministers to support the Great School Library Campaign

Author and poet Michael Rosen has partnered with Margaret Greenwood MP and national library charities to run a series of events in parliament encouraging MPs to ensure that every child has access to a “great” school library as part of the #GreatSchoolLibraries campaign.

A joint initiative of the School Library Association, the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals (CILIP) and the CILIP School Libraries Group, the campaign, launched in 2018 and supported by school librarians, head teachers and teaching staff across the UK, is calling on the government to ensure that schools have access to adequate funding to maintain school library provision.

The parliamentary activities begin with a “parliamentary drop-in” session in Westminster on Wednesday 5th July, during which MPs will have an opportunity to meet Rosen and demonstrate their support for the campaign.

In 2022, research jointly commissioned by the Primary School Library Alliance, in partnership with the Great School Libraries Campaign, found that more than three quarters of a million children across the UK do not have access to a library at their primary school.

Rosen, who was recently awarded the PEN Pinter Prize 2023, commented: “Every child deserves a great school library with access to quality books, digital resources and the expert support of a dedicated librarian or library staff. Sadly, our research shows that children in independent fee-paying schools are still much more likely to have access to a quality library than those in the state sector."

“Through the #GreatSchoolLibraries campaign, Margaret Greenwood MP and I are calling on ministers to make provision for every school to have a quality library. Together, we can transform literacy, learning and life-chances for children across the UK.”

Greenwood, MP for Wirral West, said: “I am delighted to lead this call to my fellow parliamentarians to show their support for the #GreatSchoolLibraries campaign. Encouraging children to enjoy books from an early age and developing a culture of reading for pleasure in schools is extremely important. We need to work together across parties to make sure that every child across the UK has access to a good quality school library, supported by a dedicated librarian or library staff.”

Alison Tarrant, chief executive officer of the School Library Association (SLA), said the presence of a well-stocked, appropriately staffed school library has “a tremendous impact, not just on the learning of every child, but on the whole school culture, academic attainment and children’s wellbeing”, adding: “We are calling on ministers and MPs to show their support and to help ensure that we secure the transformative support of great school libraries for every child."

Nick Poole, chief executive of CILIP, said: “Along with our School Libraries Group, we are delighted to be working with Margaret Greenwood MP and Michael Rosen to bring the #GreatSchoolLibraries campaign to Westminster. Ensuring that schools have adequate funding to maintain library provision, particularly in the state sector, is one of the most effective interventions our politicians could make to improve every child’s life chances.”