We’ll partner with Dolly Parton to get children reading, SNP pledges

The SNP has pledged to work with Dolly Parton’s charity to provide young children in Scotland with free books.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said the Scottish Government will partner with The Dollywood Foundation UK to deliver the scheme nationwide in a bid to get children reading.

Under her party’s manifesto commitment, ministers will support the rollout of the Imagination Library, a book gifting programme that sends free books to children from birth to age five.

The SNP said the scheme is already running in parts of Scotland, including Dundee, Fife, Renfrewshire and Helensburgh.

As part of a visit to Charleston Community Library in Dundee, which already works with Parton’s foundation, Ms Gilruth said the partnership could bring more children into the “wonderful world of books”.

The SNP candidate for Mid Fife and Glenrothes said: “The opportunity for Scottish kids to have access to free books is one that we should absolutely embrace – that’s what a partnership with Dolly Parton’s programme can bring.

“By working with The Dollywood Foundation UK we can take what’s been done so well in Dundee and Fife to every corner of our country and build on the record levels of literacy and numeracy we are seeing in our schools.

“Under the SNP, we have invested nearly £22 million on free books for children and teenagers, but through an exciting new partnership with Dolly Parton we can bring even more children into the wonderful world of books.

“We are on the side of Scottish families with a transformational childcare offer and record investment in our schools – John Swinney’s strong leadership is firmly focused on the priorities of the people of Scotland. That’s what’s on the ballot in May.”

Steve Korris, executive director of The Dollywood Foundation UK, said: “We very much welcome the SNP’s ambition that every child in Scotland grows up with books at home.

“Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is built on a simple idea that has a lasting impact – a high-quality age-appropriate book delivered through the door every month, from birth to their fifth birthday, helping children develop a lifelong love of reading, supporting early language development, and strengthening family bonds.

“We’re proud to already be working in partnership with the SNP Scottish Government to deliver Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library for care-experienced and adopted children across Scotland, and would be excited to build on this progress towards our ultimate ambition that every child under the age of five can benefit from receiving their own book each month.”

Scottish Labour candidate for Dundee City West Michael Marra said: “It takes a real brass neck for Jenny Gilruth to pose for a photo-op outside a library that the SNP has repeatedly targeted for closure.

“Councils have been hammered by the SNP Government for years, with swingeing cuts to funding and local services, meaning communities are forced to bear the brunt.

“SNP ministers such as Jenny Gilruth like to posture, but the reality is their financial incompetence and record of delivery is utterly abysmal.

“On her watch as Education Secretary, the attainment gap between Scotland’s richest and poorest school pupils remains wider than it was before the pandemic.

“It is clear that the SNP has no ambition for our education system and no ambition for Scotland’s young people.

“A Scottish Labour will build an education system that creates opportunities for all and unlocks the potential of every young person.

“In May, the people of Scotland will have the opportunity to turn the page on 19 years of SNP failure and choose a new direction with Scottish Labour.”

Scottish Conservative education spokesman Miles Briggs said: “The SNP have an atrocious record in making announcements of this sort and failing to deliver, so, like the free laptops and bikes they promised, no-one will have any confidence these books will actually materialise.

“The SNP removed Scottish schools from international comparison tables on literacy and other basics because standards had declined so badly.

“They should be focused on repairing that damage, not on eye-catching promises that never get delivered.”