Classroom assistants should not become ‘budget alternatives’ to qualified teachers, a leading educationalist warned today.

Avril Hall Callaghan, General Secretary of the Ulster Teachers’ Union was speaking after the release of statistics revealing a five-fold increase in schools in England and Wales employing personnel without Qualified Teacher Status.

“Those statistics comprise foreign teachers brought in to fill the teacher shortages in England and Wales and also classroom assistants who have been given certain teaching responsibilities under the National Agreement,” she said.

“That National Agreement was born from the workforce review carried out in England and it is the National Agreement which ultimately facilitated that shift in teaching responsibility to classroom teachers. We must ensure that the same thing doesn’t happen here.

“We have a very different situation in Northern Ireland where we have 2,000 qualified teachers queuing up for jobs and we must ensure their expertise is employed rather than diluting standards to save money on salaries.

“The role of the classroom assistant is very, very important but it is also a specific role, entirely separate from the teacher’s and the lines should not be blurred. They should not be exploited as a budget alternative.

“We have an excellent quality of education here in Northern Ireland and we want to maintain and develop that. The workforce review provides an opportunity but we must also ensure that what is implemented as a result is in the best interests of Ulster teachers and children.”

The statistics from England and Wales, released to the Shadow Education Secretary Michael Grove reveal that more than 16,000 men and women are in charge of classes, despite not having Qualified Teacher Status - which the Government says is a must for all state school teachers.

“The Qualified Teacher Status guarantees teachers know their subjects, and can properly plan lessons. and know how to treat pupils and parents properly.delete Guidelines stipulate that the qualification is needed by ‘anyone who wants to teach in a state-maintained school in England or Wales’,” added Ms Hall Callaghan.

The General Teaching Council also states that without QTS "you cannot be employed as a qualified teacher".

CLASSROOM ASSISTANTS NOT CHEAP ALTERNATIVE TO QUALIFIED TEACHERS'