The Diocese's recent decision to discontinue qualified teacher-librarian positions in its primary schools and replace them with library assistants or student-support officers, along with cutting specialist English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) provision by almost 70 per cent, represents “a deeply retrograde and educationally indefensible course of action”, according to the president of Australian Alliance of Associations in Education (AAAE).
In an open letter to Jacqueline Wilkinson, director of the Hunter Region diocese, Dr John Saunders said AAAE stands with its colleagues in the Australian School Library Association (ASLA) and the Australian Council of TESOL Associations (ACTA) “in opposing the erosion of these essential specialist teaching roles”.
“Coming in the week after the latest PISA results, with talk about Australia’s literacy results in decline, and just weeks after Book Week, and its importance on creating a love of reading, and a love of literature, the timing is bizarre,” Saunders told EducationHQ.
To see these decisions being made and the timing of them, is really disheartening, he said.
“I started my career in Catholic schools in Queensland and I don’t know what it is but, Catholic schools seem to be the ones who are cutting teacher-librarians.
“I can’t really understand it. The philosophy is all about a holistic education, looking after the whole person, and I think any teacher who’s worked in a school knows the important role a teacher-librarian plays, and particularly for students who are struggling to find their place in a school as well.”
Teacher-librarians have a direct impact on information literacy, critical literacy and media literacy, student wellbeing and success. They support teachers with planning, with teaching, with assessment, the curation of sources for their units of work, and co-planning, co-teaching – one could argue they’re more important than ever.
“It’s such a retrograde move in the current landscape of education, when we need to be investing in quality and experience teacher-librarians in schools,” Saunders said.
“The decision is misguided – and whether it is a purely economic decision or it’s a redistribution of funding, we don’t know.”
The AAAE is alarmed by reports that specialist (EAL/D provision may be reduced from 19.9 to 6.4 full-time-equivalent positions, a reduction of approximately 68 per cent, and replaced with a regionalised model focused only on students assessed as having the highest needs.
Saunders said it’s important that the Diocese explains its decision-making process and provides more information around what the impact will be.
“If it is redirecting money towards specific literacy programs, et cetera, we’d also be really interested in what’s the research and evidence behind those to support those moves as well,” he said.
Sonja Brownridge, ASLA Secretary, told EducationHQ that school libraries are at their best when they are staffed by a team of professionals with complementary skills.
“And as the current national conversation highlights the loss of teacher-librarians, it’s also important to recognise library officers, library technicians, library assistants and other library support staff across Australia,” she said.
School libraries, she said, do not thrive because of one role alone.
“They thrive because dedicated staff work together to create welcoming spaces, manage collections, promote reading, support teaching and learning and help students develop the information and digital literacy skills they need to succeed.
“ASLA values every member of the school library workforce and will continue to advocate for properly staffed school libraries that recognise the unique contribution of both qualified teacher librarians and library support staff.”
Specialist English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) provision is critical in Australian schools, especially given more than a quarter of students speak a first language other than English and require targeted help to access the curriculum.
Catholic Schools Maitland Newcastles EAL/D provision is likely to be reduced from 19.9 to 6.4 full-time-equivalent positions.
“Again, that’s really concerning for us because these are some of the most disadvantaged students within schools, often from migrant, refugee backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners, and the relationship that those EAL/D educators provide within schools is really important and is essential in supporting the students, their families,” Saunders said.
“It’s a really big reduction, and if we’re looking at how we can improve student engagement, student wellbeing, student literacy and student learning, then these decisions just don’t support that.”
In response to the open letter, a spokeperson for Catholic Schools Maitland Newcastle said: “we need to be agile and responsive to changing educational needs and ensure our resources are directed to the areas where they can have the greatest impact on student outcomes”.
Catholic Schools Maitland Newcastle’s stated mission is a commitment to vibrant, welcoming and diverse communities, and a particular concern for those experiencing poverty, disadvantage, justice, integrity and peace, excellence in learning and hope for the future.
“It’s sort of antithetical, the actions that the Diocese is taking,” Saunders shared.
“I can’t see the through line between the decisions that are being made and our mission and vision of the Diocese, and there’s a real disconnect between what the Diocese is saying that they value and what these decisions are saying that they value, and the message that that sends to parents as well.
“I think parents, particularly those impacted and those from the EAL/D background, will be thinking whether Catholic schools within the Diocese are actually the right place to be sending their children.
“Are these going to be the best, most welcoming, open communities for those students, or should they be looking elsewhere? It is a real concern.”
ACTA president Professor Chris Davison said a reduction from around 45 specialist EAL/D teachers to 6.4 positions would be a very substantial loss of specialist expertise.
“These teachers are not an optional extra. They have specialist knowledge of how students learn English while simultaneously learning the curriculum, and they play a critical role in ensuring that students can participate fully in schooling.
“The question Catholic Schools Maitland-Newcastle must answer is how 6.4 specialist positions can provide an adequate service across 58 schools and a large geographic area. If the answer is that mainstream teachers will simply take on this work, that is not an equivalent model of provision.”
In a short, unsigned response to AAAE’s open letter, Catholic Schools Maitland Newcastle thanked Saunders for his feedback.
“We understand that the proposal regarding roles has raised concerns. We are currently in a consultation period with affected staff and their representatives,” the response read.
“At the heart of this work is our responsibility to ensure that our schools are sustainable and well positioned to meet the needs of children and families into the future.
“We need to be agile and responsive to changing educational needs and ensure our resources are directed to the areas where they can have the greatest impact on student outcomes.
“These proposed changes are about future-proofing our schools so that we can continue to provide a strong, contemporary Catholic education for our students for many years to come.”
