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.

They don't get this as a TA! Many are paid term time only via agencies .

Cannot believe that someone thinks that if paid staff don't want to do the increasing challenging job of TA, you will be able to get volunteers willing to do it for free! Where is the logic in this?? Completely incomparable with hospital volunteering. Filing a few papers or assisting a patient out to a vehicle is hardly the same as spending the day chasing after a high-needs five year old. I wonder if this person is a government adviser. Sounds like exactly the sort of crackpot idea the Tories would come up with.

"Robin Ward Volunteer - Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board" bcuhb.nhs.wales/get-involved/volunteer/robin-ward-volunteer/

We've had volunteers in our hospital trust for many years

Was my post invisible or something?!
Who in their right mind is going to volunteer to be attacked and clean faeces off walls?

It's an enhancement not a replacement sigh .. Replacing paid (and desperately-needed) staff with volunteers is not an "enhancement" - an enhancement is volunteers who come in to listen to reading, help in the IT suite or the library, do set-up for food tech - not taking children in nappies to the toilet or cleaning those toilets!

"Robins are befrienders and prepare hot and cold drinks for patients; check water jugs; spend time in general conversation; provide a reading/writing service where appropriate; go on errands to the hospital shop; assist nursing staff with bed making; help with storage of supplies and tidying patients’ lockers amongst other duties."

Well yes, that sounds like exactly the sort of thing you'd want a volunteer to be doing.

Not teaching a class because the teacher is off sick in primary, or delivering expert numeracy intervention in secondary.

I am a teaching assistant. I don't receive any pay during any school holidays. I am only paid for the hours I work during term time and statutory holiday allowance pro rata.

As for using volunteers, these days it seems more a majority than a minority of parents who can't even be bothered to support their own child with homework, never mind volunteer their time at no cost to come into school to support other children.

I think they should be paid more but unfortunately no one wants to pay more taxes so what's the solution?

Don't reply with tax the rich!

Robins are befrienders and prepare hot and cold drinks for patients; check water jugs; spend time in general conversation; provide a reading/writing service where appropriate; go on errands to the hospital shop; assist nursing staff with bed making; help with storage of supplies and tidying patients’ lockers amongst other duties. Some Robin’s can offer a signposting service too.

That's great. But a reading and writing service are not even close to the same as supporting a 14 year old with a reading age of 6 in a History lesson.

Because most people aren’t stupid enough to work fulltime for free.

A volunteer in my sons class would need to know BSL, level 3 TA qual, courses on ASD, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, thats before you consider the need to know the curriculum, how phonics is taught etc.

Don't forget TA's aren't the only people on schools on these sort of salaries. Many of the practical subjects at secondary have a tech behind the scenes so that practical lessons can take place. There is the librarian if you are exceeding lucky.
Recruiting for any of these roles is becoming exceedingly hard.

And, to whoever said 12 weeks paid leave...... yeh, no. That's one of the things that makes the pay so low. 6+ weeks a year unpaid, plus usually a 30hr week. It just makes it too low to live on.

TAs don't get paid holiday. Paid term time hours only but annualised so they get a pay packet every month.

@outtheshowernow
TA’s where I worked don’t get 12 weeks paid holidays, teachers do. TA’s get 39 weeks pay spread over 52 weeks

@noblegiraffe this. My DD has an EHCP. Her school is amazing at managing finances. Most likely because they're in a new fancy eco building and sell surplus energy to the grid plus they're in a central location near a tube and train station so they're very popular with club lettings. However even with money, they can't get people. People are not applying. They pay the highest TA wages in the area but it's not enough for people to live on as everywhere in London is now out of reach.
My DDs wonderful TA is now a geography teacher in the school and she has a student on a gap year.

This has no relationship to the job I do as a secondary school TA. I plan and deliver courses for Btec and entry level qualifications for pupils with severe learning difficulties. I also look after their medical needs. The things you're describing are the fun, occasional bits of my job.

There were plenty of wealthy people who were horrified at the idea of the 45p tax rate being cut, so it seems that there is some appetite for more taxes for better public services, even among the rich.

Unpopular I'm sure but parents need to contribute towards their child's education just as they do for childcare.

It’s not really paid holiday they average out your wages over the year so you will receive 30-50 quid less a week and then your same wage in the holidays.

Taxes?

My friend has quit and is now a receptionist as was often asked to cover full classes if teacher absent etc...cheap cover as not willing to pay for qualified staff.....i do hear about teacher shortages but the agencies i used to use for odd supply work never have any work at all....!!

So what they’re actually doing is refusing to educate children with SEND.

This has been true over the years, but academy trusts with good leadership are now supporting and empowering teachers to work with those in the class with the highest need. Therefore, we need high calibre TAs to ensure that higher-attaining children are still challenged.

I spend at least 60% of my time with the SEND children in my class so my TA is supporting the rest during that time (this is during the children's independent practice). Once I've established effective scaffolds for my SEND children that week, the TA takes over and I ensure the other children have been sufficiently stretched that week.

My set-up would not be possible without brilliant support staff and, sadly, yet another is leaving us this half-term. I fear that more will have no choice but to follow, even though I know they'd rather be doing the job they love; it's becoming financially unsustainable for them.

@eltonjohnsglasses Did you miss the whole news but where people were horrified at the tax cuts? Most people would be willing to pay more in tax if it meant improved public services. There seems to be an endless supply of money for everything but the things people need.
I don't know anyone that wouldn't want increased taxes if it meant their local hospitals could function and schools could afford glue sticks.
Unfortunately the issue is mismanagement of funds at local govt level as well as general lack of funding for years.

Lots of parents do, I pay around £17k a year in taxes, part of that is to fund education.

The ignorance on this thread is amazing. Many TAs, including myself, are fully qualified teachers who don't want the stress of being the main teacher. The money is shocking, but the job and skills you need to do the job are not a reflection of the poor pay.