Farron to meet South Lakes teaching assistants

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron will be attending a local teaching assistants support group on Monday to discuss Cumbria County Council's proposed changes to their salary and employment terms and conditions

Tim is concerned that having fought hard to establish the role of teaching assistants as a professional one, Cumbria County Council now appears to be reducing teaching assistants to their previous non-professional status. Whilst the need to save money is obvious, the Council have admitted that the proposed changes will actually increase their expenditure by £8.7 million. The Council announced the changes as part of a reorganisation and streamlining of the pay scales.

Commenting, Tim said: "What the Council are proposing is essentially the downgrading of the position of teaching assistants and being dishonest about the role they currently fill. I know from my own children's school how vital their role is, how skilled it is and how much the school depends upon them. They are being dealt a huge injustice and I know that teachers and parents across South Lakeland will agree with me."