SAM ROWLANDS, Member of the Welsh Parliament for Fflint Wrecsam is calling for more support for school support staff.
Mr Rowlands, Welsh Conservative spokesperson for Education and Families, was speaking in the Senedd during the Welsh Labour Debate calling on the Welsh Government to bring forward legislative proposals within the first year of this Senedd to establish a statutory school support staff negotiating body with year-round pay for school support staff as a first priority.
As a local authority governor of a school in North Wales, he said: “School staff are so important to our education system here in Wales. Teaching assistants, catering staff, cleaners, caretakers and administrative workers keep our schools running every single day.
“They’re essential to the learning environment, even if their contribution is not always visible in the same way as classroom teaching. Yet, for too long, their pay, conditions and recognition have not reflected their importance.
“We’ve already heard, haven’t we, how many are employed on term-time-only contracts, meaning they are, effectively, paid for around nine months of the year rather than 12, which creates financial insecurity in work.
“These are almost already the lowest paid in the public sector, and it’s felt most sharply by those with the least flexibility to absorb it.
“There is also inconsistency built into the current system. Pay and conditions can vary from one local authority to another quite significantly, even for staff doing very much the same roles.
“That means recognition and reward for their work depends too heavily on where they happen to be employed, rather than the value of what they do.
“We also know the system is under pressure. Workforce data shows that the number of learning support workers has declined in recent years. Schools are reporting growing strain on staffing and increasing reliance on support staff to fill gaps where teachers are absent.
“Where a workforce is as large and vital as this one, there should be a proper mechanism for negotiating pay and conditions, rather than leaving it for uneven local arrangements.”
Anna Brychan, Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language said she looked forward to working with colleagues across the Chamber to support and appreciate school support staff.
Mr Rowlands added: “I do hope that this proposal will be given serious consideration. When support staff face insecurity in pay and limited progression, it affects retention, morale and, ultimately, the quality of support available to pupils in the classroom.
“A statutory negotiating body would give school support staff a formal voice, ensure their contribution is properly recognised and help create a more coherent system across Wales.
“It would also help address long-standing inconsistencies that have built up over time rather than being properly resolved.”
