In
April of this year, news broke that Education Secretary Michael Gove has
implemented a plan to axe 232,000 Teaching Assistant jobs across the country; a
move that's part of an attempt to save £4 billion and decrease the Department
of Education budget.
From
2000, the number of Teaching Assistants increased from 79,000 to the 232,000
TA's that are now deemed, according to studies, to lessen pupils’ abilities of
achieving similar results to fellow classmates.
However,
these cuts that will lead to the loss of TA's could have a fundamental effect
on a student's chances of accessing the Education curriculum in a
differentiated but attainable way; particularly a student with
special education needs.
I work as a Teaching Assistant for students with special
educational needs at a secondary school. Students that I assist have needs that
span from Autism, Aspergers, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder),
Tourettes and ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder. There are also students who
live in difficult social backgrounds that find comfort and solace in being part
of the school environment and around staff. Every day the SEN (Special
Educational Needs) department where I am part of a team work tirelessly
throughout each school day to make sure that students who need support, receive
it, as well as providing an ear to listen and sometimes a shoulder to cry on.
Teachers provide work that helps a student understand the objective of a lesson
whilst also keeping Teaching Assistants like myself up-to-date with the
curriculum or individual lesson plans.
Helping
a student achieve something is a wonderful feeling. It doesn't necessarily have
to be a grade or a mark on the paper, though this is the priority. Sometimes
just helping a student develop a social skill can be just the same level of
achievement. Two weeks ago, I taught one
of my students who has Autism the importance of apologising as he didn't like
doing it because it made him think what he did wrong. At the time I helped him
write an apologetic letter to someone and it helped amend the situation. Today,
he turned round, unprompted, and apologised to me for something he did that
morning. A big step and a proud moment for him. An example of a step that can
be taken on by the student to take with them outside the school walls;
something that may be seen as small, but to them is so vital.
Other TA's work to provide programm to help students with
Dyslexia or Dyspraxia to develop their reading and writing skills, groups to
work through social settings and school life as well as one-to-one mentoring
sessions to provide a professional link between staff and students. I can't obviously speak for TA's in other schools, but I
know, based on huge amount of effort and time that my team puts in, that
Teaching Assistants are a valuable resource to students.
Michael Gove was quoted to have said 'The quality of teachers
has a greater influence on children's achievement than any other aspect of
their education'
I agree and disagree, Mr Gove. Yes, teachers do have a
greater influence on children's achievement, but Teaching Assistants help guide
them towards it, particularly those who need support the most and those who can
get lost in the educational system.
