Council SNP Group’s bid to reinstate school librarians in Argyll and Bute thwarted by Administration

On Thursday 24th November's full Council meeting, , the SNP Group on Argyll and Bute Council put forward a strong bid to provide an effective route for reinstatement of secondary school librarians across the region. Although the SNP plan attracted support from other opposition groups on the Council it was unanimously voted down by the ruling group of councillors. The removal of secondary school librarians was a budget decision taken by the council Administration Group in February and since inception has caused outrage in communities. Argyll and Bute Council are currently the only local authority in Scotland to have taken this rash decision. The SNP motion called for the short sighted prohibition on the posts to be removed and for an agreement to be put in place that would allow head teachers to enter into local arrangements with the Head of Education in order to employ qualified librarians using budgets available. The motion was backed up by strong supporting evidence from the study commissioned by Robert Gordon University – “Impact of School Libraries on Learning”, which clearly identifies the positive impact on learning that results from a school employing a proactive, qualified full time librarian. SNP Group Leader Sandy Taylor said: “We have taken this issue to the Council at the earliest opportunity following last year’s budget decision to remove school librarians, responding to calls from students, the public and importantly, teaching professionals. We remain to be convinced that the loss of this valued teaching resource will not adversely affect the educational experience of pupils across Argyll and Bute”. SNP spokesperson for education Cllr Isobel Strong commented, “I am incredibly disappointed that a motion which planned to reinstate School Librarians has been voted down by the Administration. This means that pupils in Argyll and Bute are at a disadvantage compared to the rest of Scotland. School Librarians provide an excellent resource to enrich pupils’ education and they are much missed by parents, pupils and teachers”.