Estelle Morris told delegates at the Building World-Class Education Services symposium in London last week that classroom assistants should not replace teachers. She added that she was not sure heads should always use additional money to create more teaching posts, but should weigh up what support teachers needed.
'If we can get other people to clean paint pots and tidy classrooms, it will solve some problems and make teachers feel less pressured,' she said.
Ms Morris also said she saw no reason why classroom assistants could not invigilate exams, and said they were 'fully competent' to look after children at lunchtime. 'How far can they go in teaching children? How far can we move from classroom assistants sitting with five children in the corner of the classroom and following the teacher's direction to making a decision about what the children need to do next?'
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