Online tool for teacher aides welcomed

Online tool for teacher aides welcomed

17 June 2016

A collaboration between NZEI Te Riu Roa and the Ministry of Education has produced the firstonline guide to help schools make the best use of teacher aides.

NZEI believes educators will welcome the tool, but is concerned that there is no release time funding to allow teacher aides and other key staff to access it.

Karori West School principal Janice Shramka is a member of the NZEI Principals Council and is worried that already low-paid TAs will be required to go through it in their own time.

“TAs get no release time at school – they are hands-on 100 per cent of the time and schools are already hard-pressed to pay them for the hours they work,” she said.

“The Minister of Education’s own media release praised the impact teacher aides have, ‘when they are supported in their work’. I would love to see that sentiment given some legs by including funding for every school to allow their TAs some paid professional development time to use this excellent tool,” said Ms Shramka.

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