Who is more qualified? A HLTA or a TA with an unrelated degree?

[Motherpro]

Settle an argument.

Who is more qualified?

YANBU A HLTA with a Level 4
YABU A TA with an unrelated degree

When I say more qualified, I don't mean generally, but rather in the school environment working with children.

TA with the degree is more qualified, particularly if it's a humanities based subject which will allow them to progress to teacher training.

I’m genuinely confused about this. You can progress to teacher training with degrees that aren’t in humanities!

I don’t think that is true anymore as more and more is expected from TAs. We often work with quite challenging children and have a lot of responsibility planning and running back to back interventions.

I am a TA with 12 years teaching experience, a BEd honours degree with literacy coordinator experience. Most of the TAs and HTLAs I work with are similar. I do work with a couple of HTLAs without a degree.

I class myself as more qualified than an HTLA without a teaching degree but they are in a higher role I chose not to take. As such I would always defer to them, they have the class it is my role to support them.

Degree is level 6 so graduate is more lightly qualified than a level 4 HLTA on paper but it sounds like the HLTA is more experienced

I think qualification for the role in the most important thing. I might have a PHD in Rocket Science but that doesn't mean I'm the most qualified to train the kids in football over the FA accredited coach.

In terms of employing someone to be a HLTA, if the essential criteria states the applicant needs a HLTA qualification, then the TA with the humanities degree wouldn’t meet that criteria. In this context, the HLTA holds the specific, essential qualification and the TA doesn’t - you could therefore argue they’re more qualified for that specific role.

A similar example would be a surgeon not being qualified to apply to be a primary school headteacher, despite their level of qualification being higher.

Sorry, I probably wasn't clear. OP said it was in a humanities based subject. I simply meant that if they have a History degree for example they will be able to do a PGCE quite easily. Whereas if they have a degree in Fashion Design, perhaps, it's not so easy to see what they would teach. Many schools are no longer offering Textiles as a subject.

I realise you can progress to teacher training without needing a humanities degree. Just that if you have something that is an academic subject it is preferred.

I'm a ta2 with a humanities degree an 12 years experience working with children.
I often work with a hlta with no degree but around15 yearsexperience.
I defer to her because she chose that job with the extra responsibility. I see her as more highly qualified for the job.

I've held a few roles in education. I agree. The clue is in the names.
A TA is a teaching assistant.
An HLTA is a Higher level teaching assistant.
If course you do get odd scenarios when someone with a teaching qualification does a role which doesn't require one (and are paid accordingly) but HLTAs are senior to TAs. As neither of them has a teaching qualification, the hierarchy stands.

The only HLTA I know used to be a deputy head lol

HLTA is more qualified than a TA with an unrelated degree.

Depends.
I spend some of my working week as a teacher, some of it as a HLTA.
I have a degree, a PGCE, QTS and starting a Masters in September. 20 years in education.

I'm fairly sure that Maths and Physics are also academic subjects, and as such might qualify someone to do a PGCE.

I was an HLTA in a primary school and had a degree. Most of the other TAs also had degrees, apart from the odd one or two who were really LSAs. The HLTA qualification took a lot of time and work to achieve, being partway to QTS. I was the school literacy interventions co-ordinator and, being qualified to work 1:1, with groups and whole classes, I also worked as the school's cover supervisor. I was involved with the local HLTA network to establish best practice and was also the school's union learning rep, promoting CPD and wellbeing. I have just retired after 10.5 years as a self-employed private tutor, working with children and young people aged from 5-17, specialising in dyslexia, dyscalculia and 11+ / common entrance exams. Definitely more highly qualified than the average TA.

I don’t think that is true anymore as more and more is expected from TAs. We often work with quite challenging children and have a lot of responsibility planning and running back to back interventions.

Its very different at our school. Most of the TAs started out as parents of kids at the school and have just stayed. TAs don't do planning, and the interventions they run are basic - maths games with a small group. Some of the HLTAs have been trained in various phonics interventions.

I'd still argue that running children's groups outside school is very valid experience as you'll be managing froups of kids with diverse needs.

There are quite a lot of TA roles unfilled in some schools in our area, particularly roles where some all of the role is working 1 to 1, and in all honesty they'll hire almost anyone with a DBS and a pulse.

Ya is more qualified in terms of their education level but hlta is more qualified/senior within the school system

Thinking further and objectively.

The degree is the higher qualification.

The job description and person spec for a HLTA is at a higher level than a TA.

The clue is in the job titles.

A TA with a degree is over qualified for both roles.

HLTA is not a qualification - it is an accreditation. The accreditation process is widely variable- in fact you don't need to be accredited at all to work as an HLTA. It can be as little as 3 days followed by assessment (you do need to demonstrate that you are working at the required level).

The TA with a degree (assuming honours and so Level 6) is more qualified as the HLTA only has a level 4 qualification

Both can cover classes with no qualified teacher present.

The TA is more qualified.

The HLTA has the level of qualifications generally desired in a HLTA role.

The TA has well over and above the basic qualifications needed to get a TA role. The TAs qualifications are at a higher level than the HLTAs qualifications.

Who is more experienced in their role would be a totally different question, but in terms of who is more highly qualified it’s clearly the TA.

It’s really difficult to get people to work 1:1 with some children. There are some who aren’t in class at all so working with them is very intense and isolating. Schools are forced to rely on agency staff because nobody can do it for very long.

@Denou Budget cuts in schools mean that 1-1 support staff are now very frequently being used for whole class cover instead. It's tragic.

HLTA is more experienced. Graduate TA is more qualified (hence why they could qualify in a year to be a teacher).

For what it's worth qualifications aren't everything! When I was an NQT I'm sure my TA knew more than me over some things.

@Rudolftheorange I worked with an ECT as her HLTA and bless her; she was terrified at first when she found out I was a qualified teacher of almost 20 years!! I am always there to support, not to judge or criticise.
We are really good friends now and I'd like to think I was helpful to her over her qualifying years.

Given that the HLTA has more experience in the classroom then she therefore is the likely best candidate. The TA may have a degree and want to be a teacher but they have only just stepped inside a classroom.

But what does “more qualified” even mean? As you can see from the responses it’s a “how long is a piece of string?” question. Person with degree has a higher level qualification, other person may or may not have a more relevant qualification for the role. So both of them might be “more qualified” in different ways.

Also, is non-degree person deemed to be “qualified” because they have more experience or because they have an actual qualification (which isn’t clear)? So are we talking about qualified as in having a qualification or qualified as in being deemed to be more suitable?

Having a qualification is an objective measure. “I think this person is more suitable” is subjective. Neither is wrong, just different ways of assessment.

I put to you candidate number 3: no degree, no experience, stupendous personality and skills. Are they “qualified”? Are they “more qualified”?