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| Fears over teaching assistant pay | Fears over teaching assistant pay |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Unions have warned that Wales might face a shortage of teaching assistants as a result of equal pay legislation. | Unions have warned that Wales might face a shortage of teaching assistants as a result of equal pay legislation. |
| Under new rules, teaching assistants in some councils are no longer paid during school holidays and face losing thousands of pounds from their salary. | Under new rules, teaching assistants in some councils are no longer paid during school holidays and face losing thousands of pounds from their salary. |
| Councils say it is necessary to avoid legal action by other council staff who could claim they should receive the same pay and conditions. | Councils say it is necessary to avoid legal action by other council staff who could claim they should receive the same pay and conditions. |
| Unions are now calling for a nationwide pay structure for the assistants. | |
| It was a pledge of the One Wales agreement and teaching unions will now meet with the education minister Jane Hutt to discuss it. | |
| They have warned that assistants may turn their back on the profession at a time when they are needed more than ever. | |
| 'All their views' | 'All their views' |
| Unions are particularly worried since teaching assistants play a key role in the foundation phase, the assembly government's flagship education policy for the youngest children. | Unions are particularly worried since teaching assistants play a key role in the foundation phase, the assembly government's flagship education policy for the youngest children. |
| This requires one adult for every eight pupils and has seen the use of teaching assistants increase since it was rolled out in September. | This requires one adult for every eight pupils and has seen the use of teaching assistants increase since it was rolled out in September. |
| They also provide support for pupils with special needs. | |
| Paul Elliot, head of local government for Unison, said teaching assistants were often paid different salaries depending on what school they work for. | |
| "In quite a number of local authorities in Wales, teaching assistants do work 52 week contracts, they do have a full year contract as opposed to a term-time only contract," he said. | |
| "But a number of local authorities are proposing that a full-time 52 week contract be changed to a term-time-only contract which , in our view, is a retrograde step and will be extremely backward and result in teaching assistants losing substantial sums of money." | |
| A Welsh Assembly Government spokesperson said that pay and conditions for classroom assistants in Wales "are a matter for local education authorities". | A Welsh Assembly Government spokesperson said that pay and conditions for classroom assistants in Wales "are a matter for local education authorities". |
| "The minister is aware that there are variations in pay and conditions for classroom assistants across local authorities in Wales," the spokesperson said. | "The minister is aware that there are variations in pay and conditions for classroom assistants across local authorities in Wales," the spokesperson said. |
| "She is meeting with her task and finish group for the implementation of the foundation phase on Monday, which includes representatives from Unison and other unions representing teachers and assistants, and she clearly wishes to take all their views into account." | "She is meeting with her task and finish group for the implementation of the foundation phase on Monday, which includes representatives from Unison and other unions representing teachers and assistants, and she clearly wishes to take all their views into account." |