EXCLUSIVE: Labour warned library cuts on Scotland’s largest local authority risked worsening the country’s “shameful attainment gap”.
The SNP Government has been urged to intervene to stop the removal of librarians from all 30 secondary schools in Glasgow.
Education chiefs at Scotland’s largest local authority have faced a backlash since the savings plan was announced last month with concerned parents and unions hitting out.
Labour has now warned the cut-backs “will rob kids of opportunities and support, and risk worsening Scotland’s shameful attainment gap”.
Glasgow Life, which manages the library service for the council, is proposing to take 16 librarians out of the city’s education system. The plans would see the school service headed up by a principal librarian along with three area-based librarians, while an “assistant” would be placed in high schools.
An online petition against the cuts and shared among parents has since been signed more than 1,300 times.
Joy McLean said she was concerned about how a decline in library services would impact her daughter and other pupils. “Librarians are essential educators who foster a love of reading, support research and digital literacy, and help students thrive academically and personally,” she added.
“Libraries are more than book rooms—they are safe, inclusive learning hubs that inspire curiosity and growth. I would ask every parent in Glasgow to sign the petition and keep the pressure on our elected members to reverse these cuts and consult with the school community.”
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Pam Duncan-Glancy, Scottish Labour education spokeswoman, said: “The SNP must do right by kids in Glasgow and ditch these damaging cuts. Librarians are at the heart of schools, helping to promote learning and unlock the potential of every child.
“These cuts will rob kids of opportunities and support, and risk worsening Scotland’s shameful attainment gap. Kids in Glasgow should not be forced to pay the price for the SNP government’s cuts to local government.”
Unison, which represents school librarians, has questioned the savings identified by Glasgow Life. The union warned cuts to staff will only achieve a saving of only £37,285, with the remaining £62,715 being achieved by reducing the library material budgets.
Christopher Robertson, a local Unison convener, said: “The saving is so disproportionately small in comparison to the chaos that this planned service review will cause to school librarians staff. These staff are deeply embedded in schools, passionate about their jobs and the service they deliver.
“Glasgow Life have yet to provide a clear breakdown of their saving calculations but it’s worth noting Glasgow Life has a significant operating budget over £100 million per year. We argue that a £37,285 saving is shortchange to an organisation of Glasgow Life’s size.”
A Glasgow Life spokesperson previously said it was “bound by Glasgow City Council’s commitment to no compulsory redundancies”.
They added: “Should the proposal be approved, affected staff will have the opportunity to apply for promoted positions or be redeployed into available vacant roles commensurate with their existing pay and grade.”
Glasgow Life also claimed its plans would increase access to school libraries citywide by 27 per cent by raising the number of hours when facilities have some form of staffing.
The Record asked the Scottish Government for comment.
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