Thousands of school-leavers to work as teaching assistants under new Government plan

Now that's a headline!  

The British government is proposing an apprenticeship program for teenagers within the schools.  They will be assisting and tutoring younger students as well as working in support services.

Plans for a new breed of classroom apprentice will see the teenagers given roles in secondary schools, helping to teach pupils only a little younger than themselves. 

Thousands more would be taken on in non-teaching roles such as grounds staff and lab technicians  -  and in other public services, 

The reporter implies that this idea is simply a cheap solution to logistical problems.

The recruits will help fill staffing gaps created by new teachers' contracts which guarantee them half-a-day a week away from the classroom to catch up with admin.

Opponents immediately responded that 16 year-olds were too immature and irresponsible for such duty, that this will never work, and only highly qualified (and certified) assistants should be used.

Christine Blower, acting General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: 'The idea that anyone can do the job of assisting in classrooms is hardly one that will endear Ed Balls to teaching assistants, never mind teachers.

Here is an intriguing line... with no more information given.  What were the results?

A small number of schools have experimented with classroom apprentices paid £120 a week.

While the wording of this is quite alarmist, give this idea a second run through.  Many homeschoolers and educational theorists alike feel that giving students a sense of purpose can help them become much more involved and motivated to learn.  Teens are capable of many things, our culture simply does not expect much of them.

Responsibility can be a good thing.

Full article: The Daily Mail (UK)

N.B.  The article suggests that these assistants will be recruited from "school-leavers" (drop-outs?) but does not provide a foundation for that assertion.