School support staff members are vital in children’s education but they are paid a pittance
School support staff members are the glue that keeps children’s education together but they are paid a pittance
Three quarters of the public think teaching assistants aren’t paid enough, exclusive new data shows.
The poll, conducted by Survation on behalf of GMB shows that 74% of those polled said that the average teaching assistant’s earnings of £13,856 last year was too low, with half (48%) saying that it was much too low.
Further results from the poll of more than 1,000 adults reveal:
- 78% agree school support staff should be received overtime payments if school days are extended following the lifting of lockdown
- 80% agree school support staff are important to children’s education
- 75% agree school support staff should be more valued by society
- 68% agree school support staff should be paid during holidays the same as teachers do
GMB is calling for a substantial pay rise for school support staff – as part of the local Government pay claim – to make up for a decade of real terms pay cuts under Conservative Governments.
Rehana Azam, GMB National Secretary, said:
“We know our school support staff members are the glue that keeps children’s education together.
“They’re the people who help your kids learn, feed them, and keep schools safe.
"While many teachers have been working from home throughout the pandemic, GMB members remain in schools, supervising classes, preparing food and maintaining school buildings.
“These results show that school support staff are rightly valued by the public – now it’s time for the Government and employers to catch up.
“That’s why GMB is calling for a substantial pay rise for school support staff to make up for a decade of Tory cuts.”
