04/09/2026
Every day, we hear another report about declining literacy levels among Australian children. Against that backdrop, reports that Catholic Schools Maitland-Newcastle is considering changes that could see qualified teacher librarians redeployed from some of its schools are deeply concerning.
Teacher librarians are the superheroes in a child’s reading journey. They are so much more than the people who manage a library. They are the people who know how to put the right book into the hands of the right child at the right moment, sometimes finding the one book that finally makes a reluctant reader want to read.
They support teachers, build reading cultures and help young people develop the research, information and critical-thinking skills that are becoming even more important in an age of AI and misinformation.
At a time when we should be doing everything possible to strengthen children’s literacy and their engagement with books, it is difficult to comprehend removing qualified teacher librarians from schools.
If we genuinely believe literacy matters, then we must value the people who help children become readers.
Teacher librarians are not an optional extra. They are an essential part of a child’s educational journey.
