The teaching force increased by the equivalent of 1,500 full-time and 2,300 part-time staff - only 1 per cent - during the same period. Among teaching assistants, the increase has mostly been in special needs support staff who now number more than 46,000. This is 9,000 more than the previous year and almost double the total during the Government’s first year in office.

The number of mainstream teaching assistants remained almost static. The provisional figures, from the Department for Education and Skills, also reveal a sharp drop in the number of school secretaries, down from more than 30,000 to around 25,000 in one year. This might explain why teachers are complaining about paperwork.

However, as there has been a rise of 8,000 in those classified as other administrativeclerical staff, some secretaries may simply have been re-branded.

The number of bursars has fallen to below 5,000 after rising slightly the previous year. With local management of schools now more than 10 years old, there is probably little scope for further increases in this category, unless groups of primary schools can pool their funds to make a joint appointment.

Despite the growth of information communications technology in schools there has been no dramatic rise in technician numbers. Either existing subjects have been losing technical support or that most teachers are still being left to struggle on their own.

Last year also saw a 40 per cent jump in other education support staff, including those who are not teaching assistants.

Overall, there was a 14.3 per cent increase in adults supporting teachers last year. The ratio of teachers and support staff in primary schools improved from 15.7 pupils per adult in 2001 to 14.6 in 2002. In secondaries, it improved from 14:1 to 13.3:1. It is vital that teachers are trained to work effectively with this growing army of support staff.

John Howson is a visiting professor at Oxford Brookes University and director of Education Data Surveys. Email: john.howsonlineone.net.