Teaching assistants quitting schools for supermarkets because of 'joke wages'

[noblegiraffe]

Finally getting some mainstream press attention:

www.theguardian.com/education/2022/oct/09/teaching-assistants-quitting-schools-for-supermarkets-because-of-joke-wages

The article is very clear that schools cannot afford to pay higher wages for support staff. The DfE comment at the bottom says it is up to schools to improve support staff pay.

The education sector is falling apart. Teacher redundancies mean bigger class sizes. Fewer teaching assistants means zero in-class support unless your child has an EHCP. Recruitment issues mean that even if your child has an EHCP, they might not be able to hire anyone to support them.

The way provision for the most vulnerable students has been eroded over the last decade of school underfunding is devastating.

None of our TAs have degrees or teaching qualifications. A few have A levels, but most have O levels/CSEs. They have worked for us for decades for the most part and started when their own kids came to the school as paint pot washers and hearing readers. They generally have husbands who earn decent money and they have paid their mortgages off so can afford to stay on the terrible pay they get.

TA positions were first created as a helping hand to wash paintpots, do classroom displays, hear children reading, photocopying for the teacher. At that time it was an extra pair of hands and the pay was reasonable for what was a very basic job. But it has morphed into something totally different in most schools.

Yep. Sadly it seems the conservatives would rather get rid of these apparently ‘superfluous’ support staff in schools than attempt to pay them properly!

FE colleges have already mostly got rid of support staff. I have a relative with severe physical disabilities who needed help with eating and toileting to attend college, he also needed someone to write for him. His support worker was removed without consultation. Just “we can’t afford it any more”, end of. The college suggested he could pay for support privately, or his mum could come to college with him (she works to pay the bills!), or his friends could take him to the toilet and feed him.

His mum asked the teacher if she could do it, but the teacher said she’s not trained and has enough on her plate just teaching 35 students. Apparently it wasn’t just Nephew’s support worker that was removed, it was all of them. The teacher had been told she’d have to provide support for dyslexia etc within her lessons - which was previously a full time job for another person!

Be prepared for this level of cost cutting to filter down to schools.

@Asparagoose
Interesting!

The college will be getting direct funding for that support possibly costing around 30 grand obviously depending on lots of things.

So one assumes that person's funding was stopped by the council because it's obviously not allowed to take funding for support but not have support in place.

@Asparagoose DN should have an EHCP with support in there then it would have to be provided.

The funding would have stopped because the Council doesn’t have it any more. Councils have been subjected to the same cuts and mission creep as everyone else outside the financial industry. There have been issues in SEN funding for years, resulting in funds being allocated as much or more on the basis of how vocal and connected advocates are rather than need: but now resources have simply been drained dry, after decades of an extractive economic system.

Yes indeed.

I was just pointing out it would not be the college.
It would be funding from the council.

If it's a funding issue, it could be a staff issue.

Imagine that person couldn't actually access college without that support which leads to a new host 9f issues.

Re resources going to vocal advocates I wholeheartedly disagree with that allegation.

Getting any help or an ehcp is a soul destroying excersie in an educational landscape that doesn't recognise Sen.. doesn't get taught Sen or tips to support Sen students.

Students are let down across the UK because teachers don't get taught Sen, senco are often not actually trained in Sen

Parents do not understand why theirs

Why their DC are not learning and it's only some parents who notice discrepancies and start the long lonely journey to get help for their dc.

More application for ehcp are rejected than accepted and then it's court.

Then most rejection are actually accepted.

So your statement is not true and I dislike the tones under it...ie it's a parents fault for wanting support for their child.

Yes they blamed funding cuts. It wasn’t just Nephews support that was cut, it was everyone’s. From people who got a couple of hours a week dyslexia support right up to people who had a 1 to 1. Because they’re over 18 and classed as being out of compulsory education therefore there was no obligation to continue to provide support. I can see it filtering down to under 18 compulsory education though.

I work in special schools if that helps clarify my intentions. I know an awful lot slips through the net in mainstream - my own boy among them. I’ve also walked into mainstream back when I did supply and seen missed SEN easily. I agree it is parents that have to push for support: it is not easily given, and that means that parents have to be very empowered to get it.

I totally agree with this, and in addition, one way we are told to get on the housing ladder if we don’t have banks of mum and dad to draw on is by moving to cheaper regions like the north east. Which means women particularly get screwed over again by the poor job markets in these areas.

@Asparagoose you have been incorrectly advised. If DN has an EHCP being over CSA isn’t relevant. If the provision is in the EHCP, as it should be, it must be provided and you can enforce DN’s right to the provision if it isn’t being provided.

The funding would have stopped because the Council doesn’t have it any more.

I’m not saying budgets aren’t stretched, but LAs find large sums each year to defend indefensible cases against unrepresented parents. Perhaps if they stopped forcing parents to SENDIST in cases when the LA has no chance of winning then spending £££ on representation there would be more in the budget for actually funding support.

And anyway if the provision is detailed, specified and quantified in an EHCP it must be provided.

Re resources going to vocal advocates I wholeheartedly disagree with that allegation.

In a sense it’s true. Children and young people whose parents know the system and can advocate for them get better support than students whose parents, for whatever reason, can’t or don’t. It shouldn’t be that way but it is.

I have family up north and they live there because houses are cheap. But the husbands without exception travel elsewhere for work at least 3 days a week, leaving their wives to look after the kids. So the wives are basically single mums half of the time, with all of the difficulties that entails. Obviously there are jobs up north but I’m guessing they must be fairly low paid, hence why the husbands work away to earn more. So the mums are even more trapped into accepting low pay if the job is school hours and fits their part time single mum life.

I’ve pointed this out before, but there is an absolute world of difference in having a few days on your own on the regular (tough as it it is) and having the faintest idea what it’s like being a single or lone parent. A world. Please don’t, even unwittingly, invalidate single parents like that. It’s nothing like it. It really isn’t. I have done both and I assure you, it’s not remotely comparable.

As you were.

Have to agree here- Being married with partner away is a world of difference to being a true single parent.
Being utterly on one’s own, responsible for sole care and having to shoulder all bills- It’s not the same at all.

part time single mum life

wtf? You’re. aware that thousands of. actual single mums hold down full time professional positions? My life could never be co side red part time and I’ve been single for over 12 years now.

Talking to a TA today so asked about her school. TAs are leaving in droves. They've begged her to increase her hours but three days a week suits her. Her salary is 11.60 per hour. I know restaurant staff on more than that.

And £11.60 is a LOT more than most are on in most counties. Minimum wage/minum wage plus 10p.

I have family up north and they live there because houses are cheap. But the husbands without exception travel elsewhere for work at least 3 days a week, leaving their wives to look after the kids. So the wives are basically single mums half of the time, with all of the difficulties that entails.

Ha, that's not basically being a single mum at all! The huge difference being the probably substantial wage being brought in to the household from said job, coupled with a second income gives loads of options not available to actual single mums. It's funny you think it s remotely the same 😆

TA jobs are advertised at 9.90 an hour where I am. (The real living wage) Supposed to go up to £10.90 by April but we shall see.

I'm reading about "actual" and "true" single mums - that's a complicated road to go down, is a mum separated from her dc's father but living with a new husband then a "true" single mum, to use that phrase? Is there another word for single mums who have exes who don't pay maintenance or see the dcs from those who do? I don't think we should play top trumps like this!

It’s not top trumps.

I co parent with my ex, the father of my eldest child. He pays CMS, and is hands on.

I am a lone parent to my youngest - abusive ex, not allowed near us, pays no child support and CMS are useless.

There is a stark difference between the two, if you’ve ever lived it, you’d know and wouldn’t be arguing the toss.

But that's my point! There are so many individual circumstances that decide how hard a women would find it, talking about someone being a "true" single parent is just divisive.

While I accept having a partner who works away isn't the same as being a single mum. It does mean that school drop off and pick ups are all down to the at home partner. That then means time available to work is restricted. Try and find any sort of childcare outwith office hours is almost impossible.

And actually I'd have thought a TA role or any sort of school term time working would be ideal, unlike a supermarket who might ask for evening or very early shifts,