[SENco-forum] TAs teaching on the cheap?

It is true that these TA's are cheaper than teachers, but if they have had
training or are currently training then they are likely to be more useful
than some graduate trainees whose first experience of teaching has come from
their PGCE - the TA's have had more hands on experience. I know that there
are many TA's who would not be suitable for, or want to do, such large group
teaching, but for those that can they should be encouraged.

What is not good is when schools do not encourage their best TA's to train
and to progress on into teaching.  I am on a 2 year Foundation Degree in
Learning support , vocational + 1 day per month (some cohorts are doing 1
day per week) with the 3rd year part time at Uni.  It is incredible to see
the lengths to which some heads or SENco's will go to stop attendance, not
encourage students, and not help to get finance for training etc.,

To give up a days pay to attend when working full time, and have to fund HE
fees show a level of real dedication.  All the sessions are augmented by the
fact that so much real life experience of vary AEN and settings can be
shared rather than just attending to theoretical lectures as those outside
the profession must do in the beginning.

Why was the FD course started?  There is a dearth of teachers who want to
work in the more demanding schools with profound/severe SEN and where
experienced TA's are paid as HLTA's, untrained teachers, or SENco's because
they can get the job done.  Now they want the paperwork to go with it to get
the respect from 'colleagues' that they deserve. It is not an either or
situation, but a reflection of the fact that not all teachers want to work
with AEN and not all TA's want to merely mop up paint spills and that there
need to be new routes into teaching to get the calibre of staff that the
students deserve.

Sharon

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