Teachers feelings on volunteers and cuts

[SilverDragonfly1]

Hope it's okay to post in here as I really want opinions from school staff- not just teachers really, anyone.

My local primary school will have it's budget cut by 21% if the current plans go ahead, which is obviously a huge amount. I can't help them out financially, but I could do some volunteering there- I have the time and can commit to something regular. I was thinking they might want someone to do some of the things TA's no longer have time for, like displays etc.

But I do wonder how the staff might feel about that. While it might be a bit of a relief, it will also mask some of the budget cut impact and make it appear more as though they were justified. My own contribution wouldn't be noticeable I know, but if quite a few people decided to do the same it could skew the data about outcomes etc.

I could also be massively overthinking...

So, would you generally be pleased to have people doing jobs that used to be done by paid staff on a voluntary basis, or would you feel it was the thin end of the wedge?

To me it's the same as libraries or park maintenance being run by volunteers - they are replacing people's paid employment. Those volunteers represent someone who was valued enough to be worth a wage and is now so unvalued anyone can do it for no money. No disrespect to those who volunteer, but that's not how it should be - we should value and pay people for their skills.

I am very torn.

On one hand, I am very grateful that people give their time up to come and help out.

However, I am always worried about taking advantage of people- for example, one of our parent volunteers put up a wall display for me and it wasn't the way I wanted it, but obviously it would have been really rude to change it. I also like doing displays and I'm gutted that it's not part of my job any more!

I also think there's a bit of a worrying trend to have parents doing reading groups and taking little groups for maths games etc. I just don't like it tbh. I want a professional/ colleague, not a parent. The lines get too blurry.

It's also frustrating because you have to be planned for a volunteer and obviously they're giving up their time and you can't expect them to be in every Tuesday from 9am-10am, but they really have to be regular for you to have a plan for them.

I think its great that people volunteer but I second Carrie's view

I'll take all the help I'm offered. As a year 1 teacher I have a full time TA (plus 2 more who work 1:1 with named children for all/part of the day), but I'm still more than happy to have anyone else who'll come in to hear readers, play maths games with children etc. The more help I get, the more I can do for the children, especially those who don't get any support at home.

But as stated above, to be really useful I have to reliably know that the volunteer will be in at the time they've committed to every week (and know that before the weekend when I do my planning). On the other hand, I also have parents come in as a one off ie the Hindu mum who spoke about Diwali, the dad who was a dentist who came to talk about dental hygiene . I've had parents in to talk to the children about a huge range of topics - it makes the learning more real for the whole class.

15 plus years ago I was a parent helper - that's where I got the idea I might like to have a go at teaching... I remember doing a lot of sticking work in books, laminating and cutting out and taking groups of children to the library to change their books, as well as the hearing readers I was nominally there for. All of those jobs could have been done by the class TA, but me doing them freed up their time to do things that needed more skill eg going over some Maths using the same methods as those taught in the lesson, extra phonics input for those who need to hear something more than once. So having volunteers doing things that could also be done by TAs certainly isn't a new thing. I think it depends on how you view it - is it taking a job away from someone, or is it enabling the school to offer even more to the children?

I strongly agree with Carrie's view as well, which is why I posted.

Our council has posters up at the moment for voluntary litter pickers, which I think is disgusting as that is definitely something people deserve to be paid for! On the other hand a couple of our branch libraries wouldn't be open at all if volunteers hadn't been prepared to take on the day to day running of them and whilst that shouldn't be needed (and gives a clear indication of our Council's priorities that local people could really do with taking on board) losing those libraries would genuinely disadvantage the communities where they're based.

is it taking a job away from someone, or is it enabling the school to offer even more to the children? Exactly the dilemma!

Just will add, I'm not a parent of any child there- my children are grown up. I already volunteer doing something that was never a paid job and have been regular there for several years now, so I know I will be reliable in that way.

But really it's not about the pros and cons of me personally but the
issue of people volunteering to fill a hole that shouldn't be there to start with! There is a thread on another board here by a teacher who is not having her contract renewed because a TA can be hired to do the job more cheaply and that is what got me thinking about it all.

issue of people volunteering to fill a hole that shouldn't be there to start with!

I think that's the key point.

I'm in Y1 and I don't have a TA at all. It's really, really hard and while I do appreciate a parent coming in for an hour a week, I would sell a minor organ for time with a professional, who knows what they're doing, who doesn't need directed all the time and who just isn't a parent of a child already in the school to come and help out.

Agreed - it's my TA(s) who keep me sane. I have no idea how I'd teach year 1 effectively without TA support, especially my morning one who is fab.

Yes the volunteers fill a hole that shouldn't be there in the first place.

But I suspect the teachers will have to raise standards and do the ta roll as well if they don't have volunteers.

I would honestly ask the local school and see what they say.

I think that is the best thing youarenot. It wouldn't be until the new term now as I'm still recovering from illness and couldn't be reliable enough yet, so will get in touch after half term and see what they say.

Massively grateful because quite honestly if nobody is being paid to do it then it will be the teachers who end up doing it all. Thank you!!

Maybe we shouldn't do it all though - after all there has been union campaigns of work to rule.