Hi Everyone.
Two weeks ago today I wrote the post on Teaching Assistants. If by chance you missed it here’s a link
This is a subject which I feel strongly about. If you’ve read the post you’ll already know this.
That blog has almost consumed my waking life. It has been viewed 165 000 plus times and has had over 400 comments. I felt the need to reply to most of these. If people are kind enough to respond, they deserve a reply from me. The people who commented were not just tweeters, they were teachers, HTs, TAs, FaceBook folk, Education consultants, education writers and genuinely concerned members of the public. Thank you everyone.
The local Gazette published an article on the post and the Guardian online published most of the blog on their website. This has also been viewed many times and many people have contacted me to tell me.
I was later prompted to set up a petition to help to prevent the slashing of funds which would lead to the loss of TAs. This is not the kind of thing I usually engage in, in fact I think it is the first ever petition I have signed. The feeling was so strong on this topic that I thought I would give it a try. The petition has so far had over 61 000 signatures in just over a week. The people at 38 degrees told me that this is the 3rd fastest growing petition ever.
So why am I telling you all this? Yesterday I had a phone call from the Director of ‘Daybreak’ on ITV. They have invited me on to their programme on Wednesday morning to discuss my thoughts on TAs and the blog. What an opportunity! I’m honoured to be able to put forward the views of so many people on this subject. If you are able to, please watch the programme on Wednesday.
Meanwhile I would just like to thank each and every one of you for your support. Some have helped me with information which I needed. There are too many to name individually but you all know who you are. I’m just hoping that Mr Gove does one of his major u turns on this one. I have sent the post to him twice so far but he has remained tight lipped. No surprise really.
Here’s a link to the original document from which the Government took advice
http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/news/eef-statement-on-teaching-assistants
Thanks for reading.
cherrylkd 
Reblogged this on The Echo Chamber.
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Wow! Thank you so much. I value your opinion myself as I’ve told you before. Your re blog may just make it in to #Gove’s in tray as you are his educational blogger of choice. Thank you.
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Well done for getting this discussion started and keeping it going. Your petition has now gathered an amazing 61,997 signatures. I would sign too, but one thing is holding me back, and that is the niggling doubt that this is a real threat.
You began the blog saying “Mr Gove and his DfE are considering phasing out Teaching Assistants in a bid to save £4 Billion a year”, but you didn’t say where you got this idea from. I suspect it may have been a piece in the Mail on 2nd June, which says much the same thing. The story has appeared elsewhere in the media too, but nowhere that I’ve seen has Gove, or anyone from the DfE or the government been quoted. The only sources seem to be some independent reports, and even those do not appear to call for TAs to be phased out. I cannot find any such recommendation in the EEF document you link to. What I do find are the suggestions “…that schools should think carefully about the strategies they use to ensure that their teaching assistants are deployed and supported effectively”, and “…that time is set aside to allow teaching assistants and classroom teachers to prepare together and discuss lessons afterwards”, both of which seem quite unobjectionable ideas to me. The Reform report, referred to in the Mail article, recommends, more controversially, that “Ministers should support schools that reduce numbers of teaching assistant and allow class sizes to rise”, but even that falls short of suggesting that TAa be phased out entirely, and anyway, I’ve seen no reason to believe that Gove is likely to take any heed of what Reform says.
I do appreciate the time and effort you’ve put into this campaign and wish you luck with it, but unless you can show me some evidence that the DfE really is considering getting rid of TAs, I fear that your time and effort may have been wasted.
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Thanks for replying. I don’t actually read a newspaper at all so my info didn’t come from the Mail. As I said in my blog I’m not political at all. Things happen in education and generally I don’t allow myself to be distracted by them. I do my job to the best of my ability for the children in my care. The day I wrote the original post I had seen several articles linked to the EEF report. I simply thought I will write him a letter and tell him how valuable they are. Since then I have been sent several articles relating to this. As you say, the Govt have not yet said they will do this. What they are doing is slashing funds so much that TAs are already losing their jobs. One HT told me yesterday that her school has lost 5 due to funding cuts. I’m watching the situation closely. I think people are signing this just as a precautionary measure. We are all entitled to our opinions. Thanks very much.
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That is fantastic – the power of Twitter! Let’s hope Mr Gove watches, listens and takes action.
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Thank you. Social media is fantastic. Thanks for helping.
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Personally I don’t think any effort or time has been wasted on this campaign and applaud you for bringing this to the media’s attention. My daughter attended a special needs school where the TA’s were invaluable (as they are in all schools). There is no doubt about it – many schools would not be as good as they are without their help. Its so easy to complain and criticize and do nothing about it but it takes a lot of time, effort and courage to stand up for what you believe in so you have my support all the way.
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Thank you very much for responding. I really feel that children and young people like your daughter will experience a far worse education if this plan is allowed to go through. I’m doing my best and have had much support. Thanks for helping. Best wishes to your daughter.
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Hi Cherryl,
your blog certainly hit a chord. At UNISON we have been responding to this as well and we have had some great support in response to the media work we have done. I have a meeting with Michael Gove in a couple of weeks specifically about TAs, not just in relation to the Sunday Times report but also around evidence by the DfE to the Teachers pay review body, in which they are proposing to allow teachers to do the 24 ‘reserve’ tasks which currently teachers don’t carry out, but support staff do.
As for Pip’s point on the original article – there was clearly some political chicanery at work in the lead up to the Comprehensive Spending Review. It seems to me that this is typical ‘softening up’. Put out a big scare story and then implement a lesser cut – the DfE doesn’t employ staff and so can’t sack them – but by suggesting they are disposable it sends a message to school leaders that TAs are the ones to get rid of when budgets get tighter – they don’t want to be seen to be cutting numbers of teacher – indeed if several thousand TAs go and a few hundred teachers replace them – the government can always trumpet that they have increased the number of teachers..
Therefore I disagree with Pip – your campaign is not wasted, it is extremely important. The media see unions like UNISON as part of the (anti) establishment and so are less open to our message, whereas a heartfelt plea like yours hits the spot. You are also correct that TA jobs are going already – we are seeing a clear increase.
Good luck on Daybreak on Wednesday and if I can do anything I can do to help let me know.
Jon Richards
National Secretary, UNISON Education and Children’s Services
j.richards@unison.co.uk
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Thank you so much for your support. Your comments make lovely reading. I have had much support from UNISON delegates and labour councillors and I’ve been quite overwhelmed.
I’m aware that Michael Gove may not explicitly say that he wants the removal of the TAs in schools as he doesn’t employ them. That said I’m equally aware that he can slash school funds so drastically that HTs are reluctantly forced to lose them. I still think this is the case. I also think he has listened to the think tank report and there is every chance that he may recommend the removal of TAs. He fails to realise that he is letting down the most vulnerable children in our society by thinking of this. Coupled with this continual onslaught on teachers’ professionalism, the reduction of pensions and the 24 safe jobs education is going in the wrong direction. The last Labour Govt did much for education by introducing TAs on a large scale and encouraging HLTA staus. All of these gains will be lost if this continues.
Good luck with meeting Mr Gove. I met him around 3 years ago, it would be a different conversation now he’s in power! Thanks again for your support. Great to hear from you.
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hi!this is extremely good site!
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