School library grant scheme worth €20 million announced

The Department of Education has announced funding for a €20 million school library book grant.

The funds will be given to primary and post-primary schools for the purchase of books, audio books and other media, so they can improve their existing libraries.

The grant will be paid to schools in the coming weeks in addition to funding for the school books rental scheme, and public libraries will support the rollout.

Webinars will be held in May for primary and post-primary school representatives, which will focus on the practical process of selecting a meaningful book collection for each school, including reading lists developed by libraries and Children’s Books Ireland.

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A second set of webinars will take place at the start of the next school year, which will focus on maximising the new collection.

Following on from this, each local library service will communicate with the schools in its area, outlining the supports they can provide.

The love of reading is one the greatest gifts that can be given to a child, Minister for Education Norma Foley said. “They enable our students to go on magical journeys, experience new ideas and open their minds to infinite possibilities.”

She added that reading assists in the development of language and literacy skills, and as a teacher she recognises its value.

“With this initiative we can ensure that schools and our students have access to the highest-quality books and materials to support their literacy,” she said.

Ms Foley added that Ireland has promoted literacy since the launch of a Literacy and Numeracy Strategy in 2011 and an interim review of this strategy in 2017.

“The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2016 results showed that the reading skills of primary school children in Ireland, both in the paper-based and online assessment, are among the best in all European and OECD countries.”