To: Jacqueline Wilkinson (Director of Schools for the Catholic Schools Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle), Australian School Library Association (ASLA)
Save our Maitland-Newcastle Teacher Librarians
Our children’s education is under threat. The Catholic Schools Office has announced plans to cut Teacher Librarians across Diocese of Newcastle-Maitland schools in 2027.
This decision will strip our schools of dedicated, qualified teaching specialists right when our kids need them most.
Teacher Librarians are dual-qualified educators who directly drive student success. Please consider their impact on:
Reading & literacy: Teacher Librarians are qualified educators who work directly with students to foster reading engagement and support struggling readers. Decades of research show direct links between qualified Teacher Librarians and higher student literacy rates.
Critical digital literacy in the AI era: Our children face an overwhelming digital landscape. Teacher Librarians teach students how to navigate the internet safely, evaluate online sources for credibility, avoid misinformation, and use technology responsibly.
Inclusive & pastoral spaces: For many children, particularly neurodivergent students or those seeking a quiet space during breaks, the school library provides a safe, welcoming, and inclusive sanctuary supported by staff who care for their holistic wellbeing.
Support for classroom teachers: Teacher Librarians collaborate closely with classroom teachers to curate learning materials and co-teach as instructional partners. Removing these specialists will place further pressure on an already overloaded teaching workforce.
Reading & literacy: Teacher Librarians are qualified educators who work directly with students to foster reading engagement and support struggling readers. Decades of research show direct links between qualified Teacher Librarians and higher student literacy rates.
Critical digital literacy in the AI era: Our children face an overwhelming digital landscape. Teacher Librarians teach students how to navigate the internet safely, evaluate online sources for credibility, avoid misinformation, and use technology responsibly.
Inclusive & pastoral spaces: For many children, particularly neurodivergent students or those seeking a quiet space during breaks, the school library provides a safe, welcoming, and inclusive sanctuary supported by staff who care for their holistic wellbeing.
Support for classroom teachers: Teacher Librarians collaborate closely with classroom teachers to curate learning materials and co-teach as instructional partners. Removing these specialists will place further pressure on an already overloaded teaching workforce.
A strong school library environment relies on continuous capacity building. The Library Leaders Hub operates as a dedicated professional development avenue designed specifically to equip and upskill all school library staff (including Teacher Librarians, library technicians, and support staff) with modern leadership, inquiry-based pedagogical frameworks, and digital literacy capabilities. While library technicians perform vital operational and support tasks, support staff cannot replace the pedagogical expertise and specialised teaching role of a qualified Teacher Librarian.
We choose Catholic education because we value a well-rounded, high-quality environment for our children. Scrapping Teacher Librarians compromises that standard and shortchanges our kids’ futures.
We, the parents, caregivers, and community members call on the Catholic Schools Office to:
- Halt and reconsider the proposed 2027 staffing cuts for Teacher Librarians.
- Consult meaningfully with parents, school communities, and library professionals to explore alternative operational solutions.
- Recommit to staffing every school in the diocese with qualified Teacher Librarians to safeguard student learning and literacy into the future.
We strongly urge the Catholic Schools Office of the Diocese of Newcastle-Maitland to reconsider this planned reduction for 2027 and to engage in open dialogue with educators, library professionals, and leaders to explore alternative solutions that protect these vital roles.
Why is this important?
For parents and caregivers
Losing qualified school library teaching staff directly impacts the quality of education their children receive. Decades of evidence show a clear link between qualified Teacher Librarians and literacy rates. Parents who want their children to develop strong reading habits and research skills have a stake in protecting these roles. For many parents (especially those with neurodivergent children or quiet students) the library is a safe, inclusive sanctuary during breaks.
Losing qualified school library teaching staff directly impacts the quality of education their children receive. Decades of evidence show a clear link between qualified Teacher Librarians and literacy rates. Parents who want their children to develop strong reading habits and research skills have a stake in protecting these roles. For many parents (especially those with neurodivergent children or quiet students) the library is a safe, inclusive sanctuary during breaks.
For classroom teachers
Teacher Librarians lighten the load for classroom teachers by helping curate resources, co-planning research units, and integrating digital literacy across subjects. Cuts to one specialised teaching role establish a troubling precedent for broader staffing reductions across the diocese. Teachers understand that removing specialists puts more pressure on the remaining staff.
Teacher Librarians lighten the load for classroom teachers by helping curate resources, co-planning research units, and integrating digital literacy across subjects. Cuts to one specialised teaching role establish a troubling precedent for broader staffing reductions across the diocese. Teachers understand that removing specialists puts more pressure on the remaining staff.
For our students
They face an overwhelming digital landscape filled with social media algorithms, online misinformation, and emerging AI tools. Teacher Librarians teach them how to evaluate sources critically and navigate the digital world safely. Students rely on dedicated library staff to help them find books they love, navigate database research for assessment tasks, and access engaging spaces (and the list goes on)
They face an overwhelming digital landscape filled with social media algorithms, online misinformation, and emerging AI tools. Teacher Librarians teach them how to evaluate sources critically and navigate the digital world safely. Students rely on dedicated library staff to help them find books they love, navigate database research for assessment tasks, and access engaging spaces (and the list goes on)
Catholic education promises a holistic, value-rich development of the person. Stripping away core educational staff undermines that promise.
