Canberra, 18 November 2019: The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) will write to Education Minister Dan Tehan, once again making the case for investment in school libraries as a key strategy for addressing the increasing gap between the skills gaps for Australian teenagers and their counterparts overseas. ALIA continues to advocate for school libraries employing qualified library staff in the wake of the release of the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment report.
The report has revealed that Australian students have lower scores in maths, reading and science when compared against their counterparts in China and Singapore, among other countries.
Sue McKerracher, ALIA CEO says, ‘This report highlights the need for school libraries and qualified library staff in all Australian schools, to ensure students receive the education they need to succeed in a knowledge based economy. We will also be pursuing our call for a National Early Language and Literacy Strategy, as language and reading skills need to be on the agenda from birth.’
About the Australian Library and Information Association
The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) is the professional organisation for the Australian library and information services sector.
With 5,000 members across Australia, we provide the national voice of the profession in the development, promotion and delivery of quality library and information services, through leadership, advocacy and mutual support. www.alia.org.au