Teaching Assistants under attack

An Institute of Education report has been reported as dismissive of classroom assistants. UNISON has made the case for better training and more paid time but would be naive to ignore the 'political and elitist vested interests' hostile to these key workers. 

A recent study by the Institute of Education (IOE) into the deployment and impact of support staff in English and Welsh schools (http://www.ioe.ac.uk/study/departments/phd/5619.html) was widely reported in terms critical and dismissive of teaching assistants (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/children-worse-off-with-classroom-assistants-report-says-1781462.html)

It was therefore very surprising to read last week of UNISON uncritically welcoming the report as “a 'wake-up' call on teaching assistants”( http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease_view.asp?id=1557) . While the union correctly makes the case for ”better pay, training and more paid time for teaching assistants to do their jobs”, it would be naïve to disregard the political and elitist vested interests hostile to this key section of the schools workforce particularly in the event of a change of Government in the upcoming General Election.

Tory think tanks are working overtime on plans to roll back Labour investment in public services and a 20 August leader in the pro market Economist magazine in setting out austerity measures for David Cameron when in Government stated that:

“Under Labour the state has acquired new legions of servants, such as the 200,000-odd teaching assistants who have made no discernible difference to exam results. Mr Cameron should ask whether Britain can live without them.” (http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14258869)

The IOE report is scathing on the failures of school management to effectively manage the ’hugely dedicated’ teaching assistants. Public policy makers must address those shortcomings rather than advocate throwing tens of thousands of committed school support staff on the scrapheap. Hands off teaching assistants!