Highland classroom assistants will learn their fate soon

Under-threat classroom assistants in the strath and wider Highlands will find out in February if their jobs are to be saved, it has emerged.

A Highland Council working group will predict how many posts will be required in a major shake-up of support for children in primary schools across the region.

It comes almost a year after the local authority’s controversial plan to axe 344 mostly part-time classroom assistant jobs – the equivalent of 158 full-time posts – in a controversial £1.5 million cost-cutting measure sparked a public outcry.

A decision was deferred for a year by the ruling Independent/Lib-Dem and Labour administration following heavy criticism of the move and protests.

A cross-party working group was then set up to review classroom assistant roles and it will report back to the council in February, next year, with a raft of new proposals.

They include a new title – staff could be called pupil support officers or assistants – and their job specification could also change with two separate grades relating to the tasks carried out like taking pupils with additional needs to the toilet and physical handling.

Higher salaries could also be introduced, but Councillor Drew Millar, chairman of the cross-party working group, was unable to say show much extra would be paid and if there would be any job losses ahead of the working group’s final meetings.

"It is too early to say and unfair to speculate," said Councillor Millar.

"We have an extra meeting in early January and then we will present the proposals in February. It has been really quite challenging but something which needed to be done because it had been 10 years since classroom assistants were introduced but their job remit has changed, completely unofficially.

"A lot of people are doing a lot of extra work outwith their job specification but I feel it will be a better job and better pay."

Opposition SNP councillors refused to participate in the review, claiming it was financially driven.

However, Councillor Millar insisted it had put the savings remit to one side and may not even have identified any in the final proposals.

"From day one we were determined to find a solution that would address the needs of all children," he said. "We have been accused of a budget cover-up. I would certainly hope that if the new proposal is going to cost the council, we would expect the council to meet that."

Drew Hendry, the SNP group’s leader, said the review had been set up on a false premise to save money instead of redesigning the service.

"They went to make the cut, there was a public outcry and then came up with this review," said Councillor Hendry (Aird and Loch Ness). "It is a flawed process for a very important job role in the Highlands and a sensitive education issue."

Sixty-five parent councils, 29 parents and 37 teachers took part in a public consultation about the issue.

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