General News
10 November, 2026
Push for reading staff
A CHILDREN’S author is calling for teacher-librarians to be mandatory in Australian schools, warning that their disappearance is leaving students without essential reading and research skills.
Lachlann Carter, a Cairns-based author, artist and educator, has joined a national campaign urging state and federal governments to mandate qualified teacher-librarians and to properly resource school libraries.
Mr Carter said he understood that only one teacher-librarian remained in Cairns government primary schools, although he acknowledged the figure could not be independently substantiated.
“Essentially that is my understanding that there’s only one teacher-librarian left in a government primary school in Cairns,” he said.
He said the lack of publicly available government data made it difficult to determine the full extent of the shortage.
In a letter to Leichhardt MP Matt Smith, Mr Carter said he delivered 153 workshops and presentations in 2026, reaching 3241 children and young people and 689 adults, including 129 teachers. He had worked with 24 schools across nine postcodes in four states, none of which had a teacher-librarian.
Mr Carter said specialist librarians played an important role in selecting books, supporting teachers and helping students develop literacy and research skills.
He warned that schools without qualified librarians risked leaving students less prepared for secondary education.
“Again, a teacher-librarian is central to making the library more than just a storage room for books,” he said.
Children’s author Andrea Rowe, who recently visited Cairns schools, expressed concern about the lack of qualified teacher-librarians.
“Teacher-librarians across Australia are disappearing from our schools and I was devastated for the school kids of Cairns when I noted a marked absence of teacher-librarians during my recent visit,” she said.
The national petition, organised by children’s author Kate Temple, has garnered more than 24,000 signatures.
Australian Children’s Laureate Andy Griffiths has also supported the campaign.
“The idea that teacher-librarians are an optional extra is not only insulting to these caring, passionate professionals but is also doing children a grave disservice,” he said.
Author and journalist Sarah Armstrong said access to qualified library staff was an equity issue.
“A well-resourced and well-staffed school library is equity in action,” she said.
Mr Carter has raised the issue with political representatives including Federal Education Minister Jason Clare and Queensland Education Minister JP Langbroek.
He said national requirements would need adequate funding from governments to ensure schools could employ qualified specialists.
