Rita Campbell
Argyll has been listed as the only place in Scotland where, from August, all secondary pupils will attend schools without librarians in the school libraries.
Argyll and Bute Council voted to axe the school librarians at the authority’s 10 secondary schools, saving £319,000, at its budget meeting in February.
Jenny Des Fountain, who was head teacher at Tobermory High School on the isle of Mull from 1995 – 2011, said: “In my opinion, it is a disgrace to deny all pupils access to specialist librarians, seriously compromising their learning, their development, their attainment and their future careers.”
She continued: “Parents across Argyll and Bute, concerned about the plans to remove all school librarians in August, have written and talked to their local Councillors. What will it take to get the Council to reconsider their disastrous plan for a short-term saving with long term negative impact on every youngster in Argyll and Bute?”
An online petition titled “Shout Out For School Librarians in Argyll and Bute” has received more than 1,500 signatures.
A spokeswoman for Argyll and Bute Council said: “Pupils will still have access to staffed libraries. Local arrangements will be made within schools to ensure pupils are supported to make use of school libraries or through the council’s public library services. In Tobermory for example the council is introducing a new public library service which will operate within the school.
“The council would like to do everything that communities want us to but, to meet a significant funding gap, we have had to make savings of over £10m in 2016/17 alone. The budget decisions taken by the council have prioritised education and children’s services and served to save over 100 full time equivalent posts.”
