Classroom assistants advised of working group recommendations

A Cross Party Working Group set up by The Highland Council to review the role of primary school classroom assistants has recognised the important role played by assistants in the classroom and is recommending that the budget for the service they provide be reinstated in 2011-12 and that further work is carried out to redefine the role they play.

Assisted by a Task Group of education professionals and parent council representatives, the Working Group has met on four occasions and will present its recommendation to the next meeting of The Highland Council on Thursday 23 June.

Classrooms assistants have been advised of the recommendations which are to:

In a briefing note to classroom assistants, Hugh Fraser, Director of Education Culture and Sport said: “The Members of the Cross Party Working Group have been very clear from the outset that the Review should be child centred and that recommendations should be driven by a proper analysis of needs.

“If the Council accepts the recommendations on 23 June then a Working Group will be set up immediately to work on the detail of what should be in the job description for the two levels of the generic support post.

“It will be proposed that there will be no reduction in school budgets for Classroom Assistant posts in the current financial year and as a result we will be in a position to consider the filling of vacancies.  This is likely to continue -  as with many posts across the service - to be on the basis of a temporary filling of vacancies. As you know, we do have to look at all vacancies very carefully and therefore although we can be clear in saying to staff in post that there will be no changes for them we cannot give an absolute guarantee of being able to fill all vacancies.”