Teacher Assistants and Education Support Specialists
No two students in a class are the same. Each has a different start in life and different abilities and challenges.
Sadly, many Tasmanian children are from disadvantaged families. One in five (21.5%) students are assessed as being “developmentally vulnerable”, meaning they need intensive support early on at school if they are to catch-up with their peers.6
Students of the same age, in the same classroom, can be years apart in their learning abilities. Teachers tailor learning programs to account for students’ strengths and weaknesses to help them maximise their achievements.
In large or complex classes where teachers may be juggling a combination of students with behavioural issues, trauma or disability, the one-on-one learning support that teachers can provide is reduced unless more in-class support is provided.
More in-class support personnel, such as Teacher Assistants and Education Support Specialists, are urgently required. Teacher Assistants, for example, support teachers with preparing class materials as well as providing critical in-class support to help manage behaviour and support students with disabilities or other learning needs.
