Greens call for Scottish Government to launch Dolly Parton libraries fund for primary schools
The Scottish Greens are urging the Scottish Government to establish a libraries fund for primary schools to honour Dolly Parton and her legacy.
Dolly Parton had a deep love for Scotland, celebrated her Scottish-Irish roots, and helped to inspire a love of reading among children in the country through her Imagination Library, which she launched in Wigtown in South Scotland.
The Scottish Greens are calling on the Scottish Government to provide unstaffed lending libraries in the 1 in 4 primary schools that do not currently have any library provision.
According to analysis by the National Literacy Trust, the estimated cost of providing this would be just £3.54 million over two years.
Each school would receive a collection of 500 books from a range of publishers supported by the National Literacy Trust, including bespoke furniture designed and installed for each school.
It comes after the recent PISA results showed lower outcomes in literacy in Scotland over the long-term.
Providing every primary school child with access to books would help to tackle this decline and inspire a love of reading while honouring Dolly Parton’s legacy.
Scottish Greens Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education Laura Moodie said: “Dolly Parton inspired a love of reading in children across the world, including Scotland.
“The Scottish Government can honour her legacy by committing to introducing libraries in all remaining primary schools with a library fund.
“With the recent PISA results showing a long-term decline in reading in Scotland, there must be urgent action to tackle that now.
“Giving primary school children access to free books is a simple and effective way to do this.
“If the Scottish Government wants to make a real difference to children’s lives and foster a love of reading in generations to come, then making sure that all primary schools have libraries is a crucial step in achieving this.
“We can’t sit by and watch reading literacy decline, I urge the Scottish Government to take action and back our call for a Dolly Parton libraries fund.”