Local Government Service Group Conference
19-20 June 2011
School support staff provide an essential service
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Susan Kennedy
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20 June: An amendment from Aberdeenshire brought a Scottish
perspective to a comprehensive 10 point strategy to prioritise
support and guidance to school support staff in the battles they
face both north and south of the border.
Conference condemned the attacks on school support staff, with
the dismantling of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body in
England and Wales, and an increase in councils expecting members
to work just for "term time pay".
"How dare they think that we will stand by and let them devastate
something that is so important?", asked Natasha Nicholson of Newcastle,
describing what was happening as an attack on people on the basis
of sex and class.
Susan Kennedy of Aberdeenshire told conference that across Scotland,
Local Authorities are saying that learning support budgets are
out of control, seeming to ignore the fact that inclusion in schools
has increased rapidly in the past few years.
"Even I can do the maths to see that an increase in need requires
more staffing," said Susan, condemning moves in many authorities
to slash learning support.
She pointed out that "support staff have helped improve inclusion",
yet the council in Aberdeenshire was planning to make cuts of
25%. She spoke of Aberdeenshire Branch's campaign, along with
parents, which has alerted them to the implications for their
children of these cuts, ending with the words of Kieran, an ex-pupil
who, through support achieved success in his education.
"The support from the learning auxiliaries and classroom support
was brilliant. I needed help with understanding and English. I
thought I would never go to college or university because it was
just for clever people, but I was wrong."
Susan called on conference to support school support staff members
"who provide an essential service to children like Kieran, a service
which provides our future generations with the support they need
to be able to achieve their goals."
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