As our children are all in education. This matters....

[maddy68]

Michael Gove is trying to get rid of teaching assistants I urge you to read this and sign the petition you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/say-no-to-removal-of-teaching-assistants

This is the first thread I have started. Be gentle :)

I've seen this via FB and signed it. The man's a lunatic.

The man is a total idiot. I'm a teacher and the TAS in my school enable the SEN pupils to learn and make progress The man is so out of touch.

I'm truly worried about what is going to happen to our children's education under him.

Do you have a link to Goves comments rather than an petition which may or may be correct in its assumptions?

schoolsimprovement.net/teaching-assistants-could-lose-their-jobs-under-gove-review/

www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/education/article3742103.ece

I COUD GO ON ...

Didn't mean to shout then...didn't even know how to get capitals to stay on when using an I pad :)

All teachers teach sen. But yes in an ideal world they should have an sen teacher. Do you think that's what Gove has in mind? Where would funding come from? That's the reason special schools were closed.
Too expensive. Inclusion into mainstream was the 'cheap' option.

Sen kids are going to suffer in mainstream classrooms without TAS

What about sen such as ADHD or dyslexia. Doesn't need a 'special school' but does need a ta to ensure the pupil achieves and those others in the class achieve without being held back

DD1s class TA was hopeless, DD1 is a very bright dyslexic and she cause no end of grief giving her way to easy and way to difficult work.

This doesn't mean abolish TAs Mr Grove it means give us properly trained, properly paid TAs.

If you pay peanuts schools can only recruit people with no comuting and child care costs, not the best people for the job.

I'm intrigued as to how he is going to action this, central govt don't directly fund TAs, the schools make those decisions. There is research that demonstrates that a TA can reduce pupil progress, but really I think that we need to better use TAs, since there isn't going to be more money, I'd like to see fewer, better trained TAs. In secondary in particular the use of TAs needs to be reviewed.

Wonderstuff I remember that research too.

In my experience a lot of the trouble is harassed teacher gets TA to do worksheets with the lower literacy group during assembly, but no one checks if progress is being made.

Teacher takes longer to realise DD1 still can't read or spell than if she'd taken that group sometimes. (DD1 is very articulate and happily answers questions in class, not a child who'd strike you as not learning to read until Y6).

This is partly the teachers fault for complacently thinking DD1 is getting help and partly the TAs fault for not reflecting on her efforts.

Mainly it's the fault of a system that doesn't give time for teachers and TAs to talk and TAs the training to be confident in recognising and raising concerns.

Inevitably TAs are going to get dyslexic, dyspraxic and similar children in their groups, they need training in how to help them.

In my school I am reducing the time TAs spend in class and increasing the time they have to plan and prepare. I want them spending more time with teachers and attending relevant subject meetings. I also want to see them better trained in understanding SEND. I plan to monitor their performance and develop practice. I think the answer isn't scrap TAs but upskill them. Of course this requires investment, so realistically I am going to have fewer hour of TA support in my school, but those hours should be of a higher quality.

Hello. This thread should, strictly speaking, be in our Petitions topic. We'll be moving it there now.