to think that before worrying about literacy/numeracy standards in nursery staffs the same standards in teaching assistants in schools should be addressed?

[people]

I'm on the fence about nursery workers TBH. If we want better qualified staff we'll have to pay more. Affordable childcare v better literacy among those who care for our 2 yos?

But, I am shocked by the standard of literacy and numeracy among LSA's at my primary school (I work there). I know there are many very good and properly qualified LSA's but they don't have to be qualified.

In affluent areas there are loads of bright and well qualified mothers who, having taken time out from their original career are looking for local work that fits around school hours and the jobs are easily filled by highly literate people.

However, my experience (in a "rough" area) is that most of the LSAs barely finished school themselves, certainly have few GCSEs and it shows TBH. They are good with the children, but their spoken and written grammar is appalling (don't check mine ). When they're paid not much more than minimum wage it's probably not surprising, but these people are often left in sole charge of lessons in our primary school. Does it matter? The argument is that the lesson has been prepared by a qualified teacher and the LSA is just delivering it. Also their's no money to employ teachers to cover PPA etc.

Can I be incredibly pedantic whilst we are considering poor Literacy standards, and point out that it's TAs - not TA's?

TA is an abreviation, the apostrophe indicates the missing ssistant after the A

Our cover supervisors are excellent. One is a graduate in my subject, and I would much rather have her cover my lessons than a supply teacher. That's down to school recruitment. Our TAs are a mixed bag. The most useful are the ones who speak polish actually...

sahh you don't use apostrophes with abbreviations oxforddictionaries.com/words/apostrophe

Sahh - seriously, no. Just no.

And by your logic, where's the missing apostrophe for 'eaching'?

Can I be incredibly pedantic whilst we are considering poor Literacy standards, and point out that it's TAs - not TA's?TA is an abreviation, the apostrophe indicates the missing ssistant after the A

Dear Lord!!

The T'A's. The T'A''s whistle. The T'A's' contracts. Yep, I like it and might use it in school to show how under-educated I am