Commenting on the latest School Census figures, which show a drop of 432.2 full-time equivalent teachers in LA maintained schools, and a rise of 910.9 full-time equivalent support staff, Shadow Minister for Education Angela Burns AM, said:
“These provisional figures clearly raise questions about school staffing and closures.
“With a troubling drop in the number of local authority maintained schools across Wales, I would expect to see this subsequent drop in teaching numbers.
“The significant rise we have seen in support staff however – which includes teaching assistants – is worrying.
“An emerging trend of fewer teachers and more assistants is already apparent over the last five years. These statistics plainly show it’s not going away.
“While teaching assistants provide an invaluable resource for schools, their role is very different to that of a qualified teacher.
“We know that literacy skills are suffering in Wales and research shows that it’s the teacher who makes a real difference in this area.
“The Education Minister needs to clarify these figures and make sure LEAs are doing all they can to give teachers the right career opportunities.”
