I KNOW THE EAs do a great job ive heard first hand how much they do! i respect that part.... But i hope they all get the sack...and with less money coming in life becomes even harder KARMA!! most of theses jobs are held by single mums anyway!! suppose they will have to look even harder to find and use some poor bloke......!!!! as they do:: After speaking to some family members over dinner recently, it has become apparent to me that public perception of the role of an Education Assistant in our schools may not be an accurate or fair one. In light of the State Governments recent announcement to cut school funding by 30%, including the positions held by 300 Education Assistants, I believe it is very important that people understand what it is an Education Assistant (EA) does and the implications these budget cuts will have on our students. Traditionally EA’s have been referred to as Teacher’s Aides and are viewed by many as holding an almost parent helper type role. Many view the responsibilities of an EA as helping prepare lessons by cutting things out, gluing and photocopying. While a day in the life of an EA may sometimes include these jobs, this is an incredibly inaccurate and simplistic perception of an essential and undervalued role in our schools. A teacher is required to provide his/her students with individual assistance and modifications where necessary to successfully access the curriculum and achieve success in learning. It is the role of an EA to assist in the planning and delivery of a differentiated or modified curriculum, usually to a student or group of students who require additional support, or alternatively, extension. The EA’s I have had the privilege of working with over the past few years have been an invaluable asset to both the classroom or learning areas (often they are split between classrooms) they have been assigned to and the wider school community. In the few years I have been teaching, I have worked with several highly capable and professional Education Assistants who were integral to the planning, delivery and ongoing feedback and assessment of the curriculum for students with high needs and/or learning difficulties within my room. In addition to academic support and the delivery of modified programs, our EA’s are often assigned with the increasingly difficult position of behaviour management and modification. It is becoming common for them to be moved away from the delivery of academics and instead placed into a role where they become almost like a punching bag (sometimes literally), placed between students with severe and often disturbing behavioural issues and the teacher who is required to consider and account for the needs of the 25 or so other individuals within the classroom. A teacher’s job in Western Australian schools today, particularly in certain areas, is incredibly difficult and involved. Even a great class of students without behavioural or academic needs and modifications requires a massive amount of preparation and work. Without Education Assistants in our schools, our teachers are left to tread water in roles that, in 2013, have become so complicated, involved and confused that they are almost impossible to effectively meet. Our EA’s are without question the most valuable resource a school has to offer. I could go on and on about the ridiculous amount of roles and responsibilities given to EA’s in our schools but I will instead reiterate the importance of us understanding what these people contribute to our schools and the education of our children. Over the next few days/weeks when you see teaching staff and Education Assistants banding together to protest against the ridiculousness of our current government’s funding cuts, please try to appreciate what it is we are fighting and why this is so important to us. This is much more than a person losing a job. This is not about pay and conditions. This is about schools losing an irreplaceable resource, to the detriment of our children’s education, in the name of saving money.. Like · · Share · 14 hours ago via mobile · Jenolian Seivwright likes this.. Write a comment... . Options
Posted on: Tue, 24 Sep 2013 04:04:47 +0000
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