AOb: 'Decently pay teaching assistant who takes over class independently'
Due to the shortage of teachers, teaching assistants are increasingly standing in front of the classroom independently. "If they run a group independently, they should be paid as a teacher," says AObdirector Thijs Roovers.
Picture: Type tank
In advance: teaching assistants or teacher assistants should not stand independently in front of a group. Roovers: “Education assistants and teachers have separate professions, with their own tasks and responsibilities. And, in the case of a teacher, a competence – as a guarantee of the quality of education. In principle, people without authorization should not stand in front of the class independently.”
But the latter does happen increasingly, according to signals that the AOb receive from teaching assistants or teacher assistants. They have to fill the gaps in the schools caused by the teacher shortage.
Assistants and supporters sometimes take over a group for a book voucher, a chocolate bar or a flower
“On the one hand, being asked to take over a group as a teaching assistant or teacher supporter is an honour,” says teacher supporter and AOb-driver Rosalinde Stins. “But on the other hand, your actual work will then be left behind. And not everyone can or wants to run a group independently.”
incompetent
This dilemma was also discussed at a AOb- webinar for teaching assistants and teacher assistants, for which more than 450 people had registered. 'Can you just be put in front of the group if there is no substitute available?', one participant wanted to know. "Do I have the right to say 'no' when asked to take over the class?" another wondered. 'I am deliberately incompetent in front of the group', a third participant stated honestly.
Gym
“Formally, teaching assistants and teacher support staff are not authorized to teach independently,” says AObdirector Ellen Scholten. “The teacher is always ultimately responsible. But schools have become very creative due to the teacher shortage. For example, they set up an 'open door policy', so that the teaching assistant or teacher supporter can always immediately call on a group teacher. In theory, because that teacher sometimes works on the other side of the school. Or even takes his group to the gym across the street. Then you are really on your own as a supporter.”
Chocolate
Teaching assistants and teacher assistants are often not paid or insufficiently paid for running the groups. “They are in salary scales four to eight,” says Scholten. “A teacher's salary starts at scale ten. That makes a lot of difference. I also hear that assistants and supporters receive a book voucher, a bar of chocolate or a flower at the end of the month for their extra work.”
How do I pleasantly say no when the director asks me to take over a group?
Education support assistant Lieke Ambagts at primary school De Kreek in Bergen op Zoom has never worked for a bar of chocolate - nor for a teacher's salary. While she increasingly stands independently in front of the group. “There are three teaching assistants and teacher support staff working at our school, and we are actually constantly taking over classes at the moment. For salary scale 5, 6 or 7.”
Paid
For the record: Ambagts likes to be in front of the class. “And children have the right to education, so I don't want to have a class sent home. But actually it's crazy that I do the work, with all the responsibility that comes with it, from someone who gets paid a lot more for it."
Scale 11
“Education assistants and teacher assistants who run a group independently should normally be paid for this”, says AObdirector Thijs Roovers. “We've been pushing for that for a long time. In our previous collective labor agreement we already included that in that case they must be paid in teacher scale 11 – so even higher than scale 10. That is a reward for their efforts. This prevents them from becoming a revenue model for the board as cheap workers. Because a board gets paid from the ministry for a teacher, so they earn money if they put a cheaper assistant or supporter in front of a group.”
If you say 'sorry, I'm not going to do this' then you are in your right
And finally: taking over a group is never an obligation. But saying 'no' is difficult in practice, out of heart. 'I would like to know how you can stand up for yourself and set boundaries in a pleasant way,' says one participant in the webinar. That is why the organizes AOb an online training on Wednesday 30 November 'Talking to your manager', especially for teaching assistants and teacher assistants.
“How do you prepare for such a conversation, how do you keep control and how do you ensure that it does not escalate”, sums up AObtrainer Brigit Linssen on the main lines. “And we will also practice.” The course is free for AObmembers.
Valid
But 'no' is and remains a valid answer, emphasized AObdriver Scholten. “If you say 'sorry, I'm not going to do this' then you are in your right. And if you do, ask for support and a normal reward. Otherwise you might soon burn out in education, and that will be of no use to anyone. Not you, not your colleagues, not your principal - and certainly not the students.”
The primary education labor market platform conducts independent research into the position of support staff, in particular teaching assistants and teacher support staff.
Would you like to follow a training 'In conversation with your manager'? Get answers to all your questions about your salary, your rights and obligations? You can if you become a member of the AOb. Teaching assistants and teacher support staff (up to and including salary scale 8) receive a discount. You are a member for 13,70 euros per month, which is 8 euros net per month (you can get part of your contribution back).
