HEADTEACHERS slammed a Plaid Cymru pledge to have a library in every Welsh school as a “red herring” today. 

National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) Cymru’s head Laura Doel, said: “Primary schools already provide access to books, so Plaid Cymru’s focus on specific library spaces seems a red herring.”

The union said the way to boost literacy is to ensure all pupils have dedicated, high-quality teachers and school staff.

Plaid Cymru education spokesman Cefin Campbell will launch the policy later today in Carmarthen.

The party will guarantee access to library spaces in every primary school in Wales by 2030.

“The latest PISA results for reading put Wales at the bottom of the UK rankings,” Mr Campbell said.

“We believe we need a Back to Basics approach to improve outcomes, and guaranteeing library spaces in every primary school is one step towards that.”

The Welsh government said it expected all schools to have appropriate space for books and reading.