If I Ruled The World Julia Donaldson

Children’s author Julia Donaldson is the writer behind such beloved classics as The Gruffalo, Zog and Room on the Broom. She was awarded a CBE in 2019

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Children would learn about nature. When I visit schools, I find that very few children know the names of quite common flowers, plants or birds. We’re told all the time that we need to care for our planet, but how can we do that if we barely know what’s on the planet? It’s much easier to care for something you actually know and love.

I’d also take children out of the classroom more. There are so many permission slips and things now—if the weather was nice when we were young it was “Oh lets go outside to the local park.” I’m a Londoner, but you don’t have to go very far to find birds and plants even in an urban area

Every primary school would have a librarian. Every single primary school in New South Wales has a teacher with an extra qualification in librarianship. I think if we could have that, then all the children in school would hear stories and we’d end up with a more literate and imaginative population.