A report from the National Literacy Trust (NLT) also reveals that four in 10 primary schools have no dedicated school library budget (Tyler Todd, 2021).
The figures are particularly worrying when we consider that an estimated one in 11 children have no access to books at home – an issue that has been exacerbated by the pandemic, the report adds.
There is no statutory requirement for schools to have a library, yet the NLT report highlights once again the evidence of a clear link between reading for pleasure and attainment, reading and writing skills, and mental health and wellbeing.
Many school libraries are reliant on PTA fundraising or parental donations to operate, the report finds, while teachers are often buying reading materials with their own money.
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