A NEW cash fund for Scottish school libraries has come under fire because it fails to make up for previous cuts.

The attack came after John Swinney, the Education Secretary, launched the second round of bidding for a national funding programme aimed at improving school library services.

The Scottish Library Improvement Fund (SLIF), which offers a total fund of £1 million over three years, was launched in September 2017 to support school library projects as part of a wider approach to improving literacy and educational attainment.

Read more: Urgent call for more school librarians

However, opposition politicians called for an injection of core funds to all schools to increase the number of secondary school librarians which have fallen by 28 per cent since 2010 from 334 to just 240.

Wider cuts to libraries across the UK have already attracted concern from a number of high profile authors including Julia Donaldson, the writer of the best selling children’s book The Gruffalo.

Launching the new fund John Swinney, the Education Secretary, said it recognised the "vital role" school libraries play in supporting literacy and improving attainment.

He said: “It aims to encourage innovation within the school library sector and, last year, funded 15 fantastic projects including a pioneering scheme in the Highlands to encourage teenage sensory reading and a mental health and wellbeing initiative in Clackmannanshire.

“I would encourage all schools to consider applying for the fund and use the investment to make their school library an exciting and inspiring place to learn - at the heart of the school community.”

Iain Gray, education spokesman for the Scottish Labour Party, said support for school libraries was welcome, but described the latest initiative as "classic SNP sleight of hand".

He said: "The government has cut £1.5 billion pounds from the local authority budgets which support schools and then put back £1m with a photo-opportunity. Why can’t they just fund our schools properly in the first place?"

Read more: Pupils to run libraries as librarians face the axe

Ross Greer, education spokesman for the Scottish Greens, said: "More than one in five school librarians have been cut since the SNP entered power in 2007 as spending on education has been slashed.

"Forcing cash-strapped local councils to compete against each other for a new pot of money which is nowhere near enough to undo years of damaging austerity is not the solution."