To think Teaching Assistants are vastly underpaid for their role?

[altoran]

When the role of Teaching Assistant was created, the idea was that they would help with basic tasks like photocopying, wall displays, etc. It was a very basic role with no real responsibility.
Now Teaching Assistants have a lot of responsibility and are very involved in children's education, although under the supervision of a teacher. But they receive very little over minimim wage for this.
AIBU to think they are vastly underpaid?

@arethereanyleftatall

Well of course they are, but like any job, it's supply and demand. So so many people want to work those hours once they have children that they will pay as little as they can. Even if they were volunteer roles, they'd be half full!

This. I used to work in a school office and every time we advertised a TA role we would get about 50 applications (Midlands), several of which would be from qualified teachers. Schools don’t need to pay more to get good candidates.

Ds is in year 6 and has had 1-1 since year 2, full time since year 4. They have made it so education is accessible to him. His teachers have been amazing but his 1-1 even more so.

He is now preparing to move to a mainstream secondary (with 1-1) which would not have been possible without him having had that support.

For him the TAs have been invaluable

It looks like about an £18k FTE salary (though most earn a lot less as the hours are quite short. Not great, but there’s no point comparing the pay to a qualified teacher as the roles are totally different with massively differing levels of responsibility. TAs shouldn’t be taking any work home or having to use any of their holidays to do work. If they are, the problem is the management’s expectations of them.

I imagine for many the hours are highly attractive as then fit in so well with their own kids’ hours and zero childcare.

Can people stop blaming teachers for TAs being far too much responsibility for the pay scale they are on? Teachers do not direct TAs to work as underpaid supply teachers, nor do they just 'bugger off' for the fun of it. Teachers also do not decide on the working hours of TAs. It's not their fault when TAs are exploited and are directed by the head to work unpaid hours.

Headteachers are the ones who take the decision to save on staffing costs by using TAs where they should be using a qualified teacher. Blame them. Or better still, blame the government who changed the rules about need QTS in order to be a teacher. Teaching unions tried to raise concerns at the time, but no one listened.

I am sure that many parents would be shocked at just how many TAs are being used in place of teachers.

I have worked with some amazing TAs - worth their weight in gold who deserved double what they were earning. I also also worked with some who were lazy, had terrible literacy skills, and had no empathy for those in their charge. So, from amazing to downright useless - just like people in all places of work I should think.

Unlike teachers TAs don't get paid during the school holidays and don't get the same pension. But do have a lot of responsibility with regards to childrens' education and attainment.

Absolutely ridiculous that you have to be degree education to get a HLTA qualification, yet with this you earn about 50p more an hour !!

@OttilieKnackered I am not comparing their pay to teachers, but to pay in other roles. And the level of pay is terrible.

[quote altoran]@OttilieKnackered I am not comparing their pay to teachers, but to pay in other roles. And the level of pay is terrible.[/quote]
Well, £18k isn’t just over minimum wage is it? Minimum wage is about £13k I think. Granted it’s low, but I think it’s a bit disingenuous to imply they make basically minimum wage.

They are underpaid but paid the right amount comparatively to teachers. Meaning both roles are vastly underpaid.

@OttilieKnackered no it is not, or at least not for those over 23 years of age. You don't get 16 and 17 year old TAs usually. Normal working week minimum wage is about £17,300. So £18,000 is just over minimum wage.

@singsingbluesilver,

I know that using TAs as 'cheap labour' is a ploy by headteachers.

But to say 'nor do they just 'bugger off' for the fun of it.' isn't correct either.

May I time teachers that I know of will direct their TA/LSA (who Sia actually HLTA with a degree) to run the class while the teacher takes kids out to do things the TA should be doing as it's deemed the easier option.

So like you say about TAs, some teachers can also be downright lazy, with zero empathy. And treat their TAs like some sort of lower class person.

(And no. I'm not a TA.)

Please excuse my fat fingers....

Many a time,

(who is actually HLTA level...

Locally TAs earn between 11.5-13.5 for an 8.30-3.30 day. Yes they have the school holidays off but they only get paid for the 28 days (or more if the school over it) statutory holiday pay (this is included in the figure above).

TAs and EYF workers are not paid nearly enough for the amazing work they do, but as others have said they get so many applicants for TA jobs (EYFS are struggling to recruit in a lot of areas) due to hours for mums and dad's that they have no incentive to pay them anymore.

Agreed. Echo what PP have said about TAs often having to teach the whole class for half days or even whole days, teaching subjects they may know nothing about, and running their own after school clubs. The level of responsibility is not reflected in what they are paid. TAs should be paid more and teachers should be paid more too.

Nursery workers should also be paid more.

I started out as a TA ten years ago, I loved it but my take home pay was about 900 a month on full time term time hours. I couldn't afford to pay into the LGPS even (generous local government pension scheme). I also used to get used as cover when teachers were off or out of the room..this was a generic SEN school with 10-12 per class but some very challenging behaviour from usually at least half the pupils. Its something I would like to go back to but I expect the pay would prevent this for me. Can't live off that in the South East!

I stand corrected!

The average secondary school teacher earns £39,000 a year.

I agree TA’s are ‘worth’ more. In my trust they’re paid between £18k-£27k (full time equivalent) depending on grade. I have to say though we never have any trouble recruiting to the roles.

Yanbu. I earn more as a cleaner and don’t have to work outside my paid hours. I really can’t see why anyone would do it other than for the ‘love of the job’.

T a s carry the teachers most of the time they end up doing much more than they are supposed to

Some schools are so bad that the teachers who remain are useless, so authorities demote them to what are effectively TA / admin roles while using TAs to run and teach the class. It’s a known way to get Outstanding ratings which is why you should take them with a pinch of salt

Its a very interesting situation because its very hard to be a full time TA. Most schools offer TA roles for 25 hours a week or possibly 32.5 hours, term time only - so the FTE isn't achievable. I think it raises a situation where the whole education system is dependent on people who have another source of income. Whether its a second job (a lot of TAs stay on for afterschool club and holiday clubs or work in cafes) or a husband or the benefit system.

Do i think the FTE is a fair salary. Not really. its set at 34p an hour more than minimum wage and I think its a lot more skilled than a lot of other minimum wage roles. But it is fair to say that there are other equally skilled minimum wage roles out there - particularly in the care and health industries.

i also think that within the school structure they do a lot less in terms of responsibility and hours than an NQT so they have to earn less than an NQT.

Most TAs have a headline salary of about £18K. However, they lose 20% for being term time only, then another 20% for only being paid for around 6 hours a day/30 hrs a week. So they're actually on £10800 and this is then divided over 12 equal payments instead of the ten that are worked, giving them the grand sum of around £900 gross a month.

If it wasn't for benefits, most couldn't do it at all.

Yes!!! I'm a teacher and think TAs are worth their weight in gold. I hardly ever get one these days (when I trained there was often a TA in every lesson) but I rejoice when I do. I don't think I've ever come across a bad one. They absolutely should be paid more and we need more of them!

Haven’t read entire thread yet, but previously TAs did half the work of teachers for half the pay which was fair enough (I’d rather have done the TA job out of the two if I’m honest); now TAs do the work of a teacher (more or less) for the same TA pat, whilst the teacher will basically now do the work of two teachers.
Crazy...

• pay, not pat