Literacy in the Pacific: Unlocking Student Potential - Do Pacific Libraries Hold the Key?

Literacy is a key requirement to achieving Millennium Development Goal 2 of universal primary education. School and public libraries can provide many opportunities for the poor by giving free access to educational resources such as books, journals, newspapers and internet resources. However, some development opportunities are being missed because many libraries are not well resourced. There is a common perception that Pacific children are not pre-disposed to reading, but this is undermined by research showing that with stimulating resources, children will read. Many schools rely on workbooks and textbooks, but their limited libraries with outdated stock give few opportunities for children to explore class topics in more detail. A well-functioning library makes significant improvements to student learning outcomes. In June 2011 the Pacific Islands reached a population milestone of 10 million people. An estimated 188, 000 will be added to the total every year - the population is expected to reach 15 million by 2035 (SPC, 2011). On average a third or more of the Pacific population is under 15. This "youth explosion" has many implications, particularly for education and economic development. To survive in the twenty-first century environment, school students need to be well prepared to achieve their desired educational outcome. However, language competency and literacy issues amongst school students can be impeding to national and regional development.