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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".
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