Nursery World - Expanded role for class assistants

Government plans for the future of schools in England will see the relationship between teachers and classroom assistants become more like that of doctors and nurses, according to the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). Earlier this week the Government unveiled proposals to recruit thousands more teaching assistants to work in primary and secondary schools. The aim is to free teachers from administrative tasks such as photocopying, filing and ordering supplies and equipment, as well as creating a new category of 'advanced teaching assistant', who will be given powers to lead classes.

Earlier this week the Government unveiled proposals to recruit thousands more teaching assistants to work in primary and secondary schools. The aim is to free teachers from administrative tasks such as photocopying, filing and ordering supplies and equipment, as well as creating a new category of 'advanced teaching assistant', who will be given powers to lead classes.

A DfES spokesman said, 'Teachers must be free to teach. Teaching assistants will work with teams of teachers like doctors with nurses, and some assistants will be leading classes under the supervision of teachers.' He added that the Government hoped to see an additional 20,000 support assistants trained per year to support the 400,000 teachers.

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