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Charter aims to prevent support staff misuse

Support staff Trade unions
A Charter has been drawn up in a bid to end the misuse of support staff by schools. The Association of Teachers and Lecturers unveiled the Support Staff Charter at its annual conference in Liverpool.

The Charter covers issues such as pay, working hours, training, and violent and abusive behaviour and was published as delegates at the conference raised concerns about poor practice in schools.

A motion before delegates called on the ATL to investigate the number of support staff in schools who are being used to cover classes and to campaign for a statutory right to training and development.

The motion stated: “Conference deplores the misuse of support staff in schools to cover for teachers at short notice and for protracted periods. 

“Conference notes that increasingly support staff employed to support the learning in class, with groups or with individuals, are being withdrawn from this valuable work to cover absences for several days, thus depriving one group of the support they deserve and depriving another class of a qualified teacher.”

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