While Public Libraries of New Zealand welcomes budget measures aimed at low income families with a view to ending child poverty, they also say more focus is needed on literacy to break the poverty cycle.
According to Public Libraries of New Zealand chair, Marion Read;
“Poverty is an issue in so many of our communities. Public libraries work with people from all walks of life, our mandate has always included working with disadvantaged families and children.”
Read is also calling for greater emphasis on literacy to help end child poverty in New Zealand.
“Ending the poverty cycle demands a literacy focused solution if we are to make sure that all New Zealand children grow up in homes free from poverty.”
While public libraries help children access books and achieve develop digital fluency, public libraries need more support so that kids in every community are included in literacy programmes.
There is a growing body of evidence that shows children who grow up without access to books can finish school two years behind their peers, leading to negative academic outcomes and career prospects at a substantial cost to them, the communities they live in, as well as to New Zealand tax payers.
The implications of this are huge says Read;
“In their 2012 report, The Economic and Social Cost of Illiteracy, the World Literacy Foundation estimated that the social and economic impact of illiteracy to New Zealand at NZ$3 billion a year. These costs will continue to increase unless something is done.”
Read says that while universal access to books is vital if we are to give New Zealand children the best possible chance in life, digital literacy is the key to New Zealand’s future prosperity.
“Growing our local economies is key to reducing poverty. Public libraries play an active role active in building literacy in all its forms. We work with individuals and groups to build digital skills. We also ensure New Zealanders have the skills to take part in the digital world. Without these skills, young people will struggle to function with the increasing demands of an online government or gain access to all the basic services being delivered online.”
Local authorities are committed to supporting local people through public libraries, but national funding is needed to ensure Kiwis in every community get the chance to develop new skills and for the communities they live in to thrive.
