Assistants who improve their teaching skills spend their own money and often get no reward. Helen Ward reports.
TEACHING assistants - who often spend more than pound;1,000 on training - say their efforts to improve are being undermined by government inaction.
There are already 300 qualifications on offer to assistants. Three universities offer foundation degrees for support staff, and national vocational qualifications are due to start later this year. But many assistants are frustrated that, despite the time and effort they put in, their pay remains the same.
Toni Vizard, 37, is a learning support assistant at Delapre middle school in Northampton. She takes home pound;535 per month for a 27.5 hour week and is paying pound;1,200 a year to take a foundation degree course which can be extended to gain qualified teacher status.
She said: “This seemed an ideal opportunity to continue working and further my career. It appealed because at the end of two years I have a better status as an associate teacher. But that is not recognised ... I almost feel penalised that at the end of two years, if I don’t want to go on to teaching there is nothing to show for it.”
Jennifer De Luca, 39, a learning support assistant at Preston Hedges primary in Northampton, is also funding her own training. She said: “I may go on to do teaching, but it is really to get a better understanding of the field of education.”
Lynne Jackson, 50, works as an unqualified teacher at Oakway infants school, Wellingborough; her training is being funded by the school. She said: “Over the past five years I have been doing lots of courses trying to accumulate credit towards a degree. I want to get QTS. Most of us care very much about the role we have in education and if people opened their eyes and saw what possibilities there are with good training, the results would raise standards in schools.”
Unions want a national career structure so assistants’ training can be recognised. Christina McAnea, Unison secretary for education, said: “There is nothing wrong with encouraging staff to undertake personal development. What is wrong is to give people the expectation that they will be on a higher grade that doesn’t exist.”
A new career structure for support staff is being considered by the Department for Education and Skills. But schools minister Stephen Timms has said he expects pay to remain locally negotiated.
A Northamptonshire County Council spokeswoman said schools set pay within council guidelines.
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