Is a classroom assistant classes as a professional job!

[tulpops]

If you were talking about a C/A or filling out a form, would you describe as being a professional job?

Surely not just a question of a degree. Think of professional footballers. Could also be something that needs a lot of training. Acting profession, not necessarily a graduate, a writer , professional photographer ?..

Professional for those jobs is just used to indicate that people are paid rather than amateurs.

The OP asked if being a TA counted as a professional. She hasn't been back so we don't know if it's anything to do with passports.

I agree about it being underrated and important, but it is not a profession. People do not need to have a degree or other letters after their name or be a member of a professional body, so as most pp's say, no it isn't a 'professional' job.

A profession is something like architect, solicitor, accountant, and yes - teacher.

No. I'd generally class a professional as someone who has done a degree/further training and is on a professional register ie doctor, nurse, teacher, accountant, lawyer etc.

The 'professional needs a qualification' definition is an interesting one! I would definitely describe my job as 'professional' (I work in marketing, in a senior role in an agency), but I have no marketing qualifications (as is the case for the vast majority of marketers I have come across in my career). I do have a degree (in an unrelated subject), and most job specs would say the role requires a degree, but it's certainly a role you could work up to without a degree.

But to answer the original Q, I wouldn't say a TA is a 'professional' job. (I would say it's much more 'important' than mine in the grand scheme of things though!)

Lol at marketing being a profession. Of course it's not!

We’d need to definition of ‘professional’ first.

Re the HLTA signing a passport, you say you were a teacher too so presumably you have the qualifications. It doesn’t matter what job you do now.

That's not the same though. Care assistant is a hugely important job, but not a professional one. Street cleaner is an important job, but not a professional one.

I think it should be, even though it isn't. HLTAs in particular do need a qualification as they often teach children in class, rather than supporting.

You know there are other protected titles where it is illegal to pretend to be one- physio, radiographer, orthoptist etc?

Anyway, back to the op's question, no I wouldn't consider a TA to be a profession. A progression needs to have qualification, usually a degree, and then membership of a state or other professional registration (and pay for the privilege).

It requires qualifications doesn't it? So I'd say it's profession adjacent haha.

TAs do not need any qualifications. They can choose to get some, but heads can hire you without them if they want to. None of the TAs at my school when I started had any TA qualifications. Some don’t even have O levels.

HLTA status is no different. There used to be a relevant course but the need to have this stopped years ago. Heads can hire anyone they want and call them an HLTA and get them to cover classes. It’s just cheap cover.

Incorrect.

But many TA’s do have industry specific qualifications. I suspect ones who don’t it is because of funding.

Many have amazing skills which I certainly don’t have. As matter if fact, it is quite niche.

They way I read that is they still gain the qualification, but the WAY they get it has changed

It bloody should be. I've hired TA's (and there are plenty of qualifications you can earn. Level 3 up is highly sought after), that have better qualifications than Teachers.

If the job has 'Assistant' in the title, its not a professional one, unless you are a newly qualified graduate

I'm an Assistant Headteacher which definitely counts as a professional role so I'm not sure about your argument here!

No, they don’t need a particular qualification. It’s up to the school to decide who they recruit as an HLTA. If the head seems someone capable, that’s enough.

It's literally assistant to a professional! Is a care assistant a nurse? Is my PA doing my job? No, obviously not, he keeps my diary and assists me. If it didn't offer the school holidays, nobody would want to do it, it's not a career.

It depends. Lots of TA's have degrees and/or teaching qualifications.

I thought the true meaning of professional was where there's a governing body which licenses/certifies people to practise. If you don't abide by the rules you get struck off and can't do that job anymore.

So doctors, lawyers, teachers etc. My DH is a professional as he is certified by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

And better punctuation skills, one hopes.

I didn't say it was a profession. But I did say you could have a professional job in that field. Which I'd stand by.

No, it isn't, and with the greatest of respect the pp who think otherwise have a different definition of 'profession' to the majority.

That does not mean it isn't an important job. TAs do vital work and much of the state education system is built on their labour. Traditionally there has been a pool of (overwhelmingly) female staff willing to accept low pay in return for term-time hours but the increase in flexible working post-Covid has understandably reduced this significantly and the whole sector is going to have to shift to reflect this.

I work with a number of genuinely outstanding TAs who are qualified classroom teachers and wouldn't go back to classroom teaching for love nor money.