The junior certificate school programme, (JCSP), demonstration library project is a three year research project. New school libraries were set up in 11 participating post-primary schools for students up to junior certificate. The libraries are staffed by full-time qualified librarians. Reinforcing the concept of the whole-school approach to tackling literacy problems, the 11 schools are asked to draw up and implement library based strategies to tackle the literacy difficulties experienced by many JCSP students.
The research will establish whether appropriate access to books and reading resources through a good library, which caters for the needs of students with literacy difficulties, impacts on their learning experience and allows them to address and overcome these difficulties.
An interim report has been finished and a final report is due to be completed by February 2005. The question of the continuation of the project to the end of the current school year 2004-05 is being considered by my Department. The question of future developments in this area will be considered in the light of the report, overall priorities and available resources.