Greens MP for Maiwar Michael Berkman’s petition to save children’s literacy sessions like rhyme time, story time and toddler time from cuts has received 2,000 signatures in less than 24 hours.
The LNP Council has announced cuts to the hugely popular free children’s literacy sessions across Brisbane libraries, prompting backlash from parents and the Greens. Analysis of differences between the existing program and proposed December program show up to 35% of some programs would be cut, despite such high existing demand that parents are sometimes turned away from fully booked sessions.
Michael Berkman:
“I started this petition because so many parents came to me and asked for help to save rhyme time, story time and toddler time sessions at libraries like Indooroopilly.
“These programs not only teach children crucial literacy skills, but they provide a community for parents in what can otherwise be a pretty isolating time.
“In a cost of living crisis, we should be prioritising free activities for families, not cutting them.
“The cuts are scheduled to come into effect in December, so there’s still time to save programs like rhyme time and as our petition gathers momentum I’m feeling really hopeful.
“We’ve seen in the past that, with enough public pressure, Council can change its mind - like when they dropped the Mt Coot-tha zipline proposal.
“This is an opportunity for the LNP to listen to the community, see that they’ve made a mistake, and fix it.”