§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) if he plans to limit the number of hours per week that a pupil should be(a) taught and (b) supervised by a teaching assistant; [81081]
(2) what plans he has to limit the subjects which can be taught by advanced teaching assistants. [81314]
§ Mr. MilibandThe Government's proposals on developing the role of support staff, which were published for consultation in October, include proposals which would for the first time provide a regulatory framework to underpin the involvement of support staff in the teaching and learning process. These are based on the key principles that qualified teachers must have overall responsibility for effective teaching and learning, and that there must always be a clear system of leadership and supervision by a qualified teacher to ensure high standards of teaching and learning. Provided those conditions are met, it is proposed that determining what should be delegated should be primarily a matter for the professional judgment of headteachers and qualified teachers rather than for rigid national demarcation. The draft Education (Teaching Work and Registration)32W (England) Regulations 2002 do not include proposed limits on the hours or subjects that a pupil should be either taught or supervised by a teaching assistant. The draft regulations provide that teaching assistants may only undertake a list of "specified teaching work" under a system of supervision determined by a qualified teacher using his or her professional judgment. Qualified teachers will remain responsible and accountable for the quality of teaching and learning in their classrooms.