SCHOOL LIBRARIANS

331 The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (18 October 2011) (First Session). Can the Minister for Education advise—

1. (a) How many teachers with library training are currently employed in government primary and secondary schools; and

(b) In which schools are they located?

2. How many teachers who are not qualified librarians are currently in charge of school libraries?

3. Which, if any, primary and secondary schools do not have a library on site?

4. How many 'Library Technicians' (i.e. persons who are neither a teacher nor qualified librarian) are currently employed in public primary and secondary school libraries?

5. (a) Has the government a strategy to increase the number of qualified librarians in public and primary schools; and

(b) If so, what are the timelines and milestones for this strategy?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations): The Minister for Education and Child Development has advised:

1. (a) The deployment of staff within schools into particular roles is managed at the school level. As at June 2011, there were 628 teachers employed in government schools who had listed the subject 'LI—Teacher librarian' as a teaching subject.

(b) Information about the deployment of qualified Teacher Librarians is not held centrally by the Department. Individual schools manage the teaching allocations of their staff.

2. The recruitment and deployment of teachers into particular roles is managed by schools using a merit-based selection process. The Department for Education and Child Development (DECD) does not have a central record of arrangements made at the local level to support school library services.

3. Departmental facilities guidelines provide all schools with a Resource Centre/Library space allocation. I am advised by DECD that Mawson Lakes Primary School is the only known school that has an off-site Resource Centre/Library, which forms part of the Mawson Centre.

4. The recruitment and deployment of School Services Officers into library and other roles is managed by schools, using a merit-based selection process. The department does not have a central record of arrangements made at the local level to support school library services.

5. Teacher-Librarian roles have not been identified as a hard-to-staff subject area and a state-wide strategy to increase the number of qualified librarians is not planned at this time.

Since 2003, DECD has financially supported 12 teachers to undertake post graduate accredited courses in librarian studies. Teachers eligible for support are required to have both Principal and Regional Director endorsement, verifying that there is a need in this area.